Obliviate
by whitelonewolf
Summary: Harry is obliviated by a revenge seeking, unstable Lockheart. He has no memories of anyone or anything. Harry doesn't really care, but then, he doesn't know what he's missing. He's innocently taken with the world of magic and eager to be free to explore.
1. Obliviate

**Obliviate**

**By whitelonewolf.**

**Summery: Harry's memories are permanently erased by an unstable mental patient. Harry's life - though he doesn't remember it anymore - is turned upside down. His view, his goals, his friends they all begin to change and he in turn, turns the worlds of everyone else to match his own.**

**Set about half-way through fifth year. No Slash, no bashing of anyone (although Ron and Hermione are pushed slightly to the background - don't get me wrong they're both great but for this story they aren't that prominent).**

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"Obliviate!" Shouted the voice of a half crazed man in a St. Mungos patients outfit.

Harry Potter's large green orbs widened in shock, knowing he had no time to duck as the jet of bright blue magic shot towards him.

The force of the spell threw him back, green orbs dazed and confused as he fell. It was strange, that feeling of knowing something was being taken of him, but losing the memories of what it was. His whole life, everything he cared about and knew or ever thought of was being pulled away from him, washed down a stream of blackness and never to be regained ever again.

In a moment, that feeling of disbelief and outrage disappeared as he was pushed backwards. Instead, all that was left was dazed confusion, a stray thought -_ why was he falling_ - as the last fragments of his entire being vanished.

Chaos erupted.

Students were panicking, teachers were shouting, spells were being cast all over the place. Harry didn't notice these people for a long moment. It wasn't until the ringing in his ears from hitting his head left that he noted someone calling his name - _it was his name wasn't it?_ - and he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

He couldn't help gaping. The room he was in was enormous and the ceiling, it was missing!

"Potter!"

There, that was him too wasn't it? He flinched, the noise almost instantly giving him a headache - or maybe that was because he had just hit his head?

A face swam into view, pale and speckled with freckles overshadowed by fiery red hair. "Harry? Harry, mate, are you ok?" The boy of fifteen -_ how had he known that?_ - asked worriedly.

Harry blinked slowly, carefully taking note of how he felt before answering the boy. He looked up into concerned blue eyes and nodded, "I feel ok. My head hurts a little though." He admitted, reaching up a hand to rub at the back of his head.

The boy's face filled with relief. "Thank Merlin, for a minute there I thought you were a goner!" The boy laughed nervously, getting to his feet and holding his hand out to Harry, who accepted it, and helped haul Harry to his feet. "Good thing Snape got hold of Lockheart before he threw anything else at you. I wonder how he got out of St. Mungos though?"

Harry tried to follow what the other boy was saying, but he found himself thoroughly confused. Snape? Lockheart? Where they people? And what had Lockheart thrown at him? Was that the reason he had a headache then?

"Honestly Harry," Harry turned, surprised to see someone else by his side, a girl with long bushy brown hair and soft eyes, "Why didn't you put up a shield? Or did you leave your wand in your bag again?"

The boy rolled his eyes as Harry's own green orbs widened in surprise. _Wand?_

"Hermione, that was me, Harry's never done that." The boy said to her, his expression still a little worried as his blue eyes flickered to Harry every now and then.

The girl - Hermione - rolled her eyes this time, "Even so, imagine what might have happened had that spell worked?"

Harry blinked several times and decided that he would have to clarify for himself, since neither of these two people looked like they were going to explain to him. "Er, sorry, but did you say spell?"

Both teenagers turned to look at Harry, concern in their gazes once again.

"Yes, Harry, that's what that jet of light was, remember, the one that made you fall over?" The boy said laughingly.

Harry blinked, realisation alighting his features, "Oh, so that's how I ended up on the ground?" He glanced back again, his hand reaching up to rub at the sore spot on the back of his head, "I was wondering about that. You said it was a spell? Is that like Magic then?"

Both teenager's stared at him and Harry noticed the sound drop dramatically.

"Potter," A voice said sharply.

Hermione and her friend glanced back over at a tall, dark haired, dark clothed -_ those are robes_ - man with obsidian eyes. The man was stalking over to them, him being the closest of the adults in the room.

Harry blinked and averted his eyes quickly, some unknown instinct telling him to submit, before he frowned and looked back up - _He__ didn't want to submit_ - and said in a polite tone, "Yes, Sir?"

The man faltered for a moment before scowling at Hermione and her friend, "Out of the way Weasley, Granger!"

The boy glared but he was pulled out of the way by Hermione rather quickly. Harry looked up at the man who stared at him with a slight frown.

"Do you know what your name is?" He asked sharply.

Harry had the distinct feeling that several people were holding their breath, waiting for his answer. He didn't want to disappoint them, so he frowned, trying to remember if Harry really was his name. He wanted to be sure before he said anything.

"I, er, I'm almost sure it's Harry, Sir." Harry answered - _not nervously_ - in as sure a tone as he could manage.

Disbelief flashed across the mans eyes before returning to stony calm, "You think?" He sneered, "What is your full name?"

Harry blinked and tilted his gaze skyward, trying to think again. His full name? What was it? His name was Harry, of that he was almost certain, and the man had called him Potter, so that must be his last name. That would make him Harry Potter - _James, there is a James in there too_ - he looked back down at the man and answered,

"Harry James Potter." He said, his tone more certain than it had been the first time.

The man almost looked relieved - _Relief? But why?_ - before asking, "What are the names of your parents?"

Harry looked up at the ceiling - or lack thereof - again before answering. His middle name was James, that usually indicated a connection to a relative of some sort, didn't it? He wasn't sure, but it was the only clue he had. So James was his father's name. As Harry's last name came from his father - _how did he know that? Why didn't it come from his mother?_ - that would make it James Potter. Harry frowned. There was something missing, something about a flower - _flower? That doesn't make sense?_ - roses? No, Lilies. Lily and... Lily and James.

"Lily and James Potter." Harry said allowed, wonder in his voice as a vague feeling of warmth filled him.

He missed the second relieved look that crossed the mans features briefly.

"Where are you?"

Harry looked back down from the sky and blinked. Glancing about the hall -_ why are there so many people looking at him?_ - and noticed that everyone but the adults were wearing the same thing - _a uniform_ - even himself, he realised as he looked down.

"A school?" Harry guessed with a small shrug, looking back at the man.

The man glared, "Ten points from-" The man broke off, staring at Harry curiously as Harry frowned in bewilderment, "What school?" He asked suddenly.

Harry blinked several times, "Er... I'm sorry, Sir, I don't know."

Noise erupted once again.

"Silence!" A voice called, and Harry jumped at the sound.

Glancing up again at the ceiling - _how was it doing that? Was it made of glass?_ - he returned his gaze to the man who had been asking him the questions.

"Where do you live?" He barked out.

Harry tilted his head a little, "I don't know." That revelation didn't bother him perhaps as much as it should have. "Oh... That's bad isn't it?"

The man looked surprised and annoyed at the same time, causing Harry to feel as though he should apologise.

"Sorry, Sir, I didn't mean to bother you."

"Bother me?" His tone was cold, scathing, "Potter you don't even know where you _live_. What is your birthday?"

"July thirty-first." Harry answered instantly before blinking, "Oh, that was easier than the others."

The man looked as if he wanted to slap a hand to his face - _why would anyone ever do that?_ - and Harry found it vaguely amusing.

"Excuse me," Harry asked for a moment, as the other adults rushed over to him, "But is the ceiling glass?"

The man frowned, bewildered for a moment before he followed Harry's gaze upwards toward the roof. "No. It is enchanted."

Harry's gaze snapped back down. "Enchanted?" He asked, eyes alight, "You mean magic? Like what that girl and the boy were talking about? Spells?"

The man seemed hesitant, his dark eyes flickering over to where Hermione and her friend stood looking very distressed. "Yes. I mean magic."

"Let me see him, Severus." A lady said briskly and the surprised man moved out of the way, wide obsidian eyes never leaving Harry's face.

A lady in a nurse like uniform took his place, pulling out a stick and waving it about. Harry frowned, flinching away from her - _why? Why did he flinch?_ - and was about to ask what she was doing -_ maybe she was going to hit him with it? _- when green, red and blue beams shot from the end of it in rapid succession and hit him.

Green eyes bugged out. "What-? How did you do that?" Harry exclaimed, awed as the light surrounded him and glowed different colours.

Looking back up at the nurse, Harry saw her face go pale. She looked over at someone beyond his line of sight and he turned his head to follow her gaze. Behind him stood the oldest man he had ever seen! He was tall, with a long blue robe looking thing that had purple and red stars splashed across it and the longest, whitest beard Harry had ever seen.

"I... Albus, there's nothing I can do, we must get a mind healer to see him immediately! He, he's lost everything!" She whispered, voice disbelieving even as she said it.

"Magic?" Harry whispered, eyes wide still staring at the glowing lights before her words sank in fully. "My... My memories? What are you talking about, what do you mean I lost my memories?" He looked up at the ceiling again. "Magic... I... Am I a wizard?"

Immediately he knew it was true, but still, he couldn't help but feel awed and overwhelmed and light-headed as he stared up at the ceiling. The noise had erupted again even louder this time.

People were shouting louder and louder, some were crying. Harry looked around and couldn't help but wonder how many of these people he was supposed to know. Looking up at the ceiling again he marvelled at the wonder of it all.

If he focussed, he could feel the magic coursing through him, tingling at the end of his fingers. Holding his hand out a stick similar to the Nurse-Lady's flew into his hand. His eyes widened as he stared at it. - _A wand_ - A little voice in the back of his head whispered.

"Wand..." Harry murmured turning it over in his hand, eyes wide with fascination. "My wand." He laughed suddenly, drawing the attention of many of the shouting people.

Harry grinned roguishly, "I can do magic." He laughed again, "I can do _magic_." He looked back up at the ceiling, as if to remind himself that magic was real.

Looking around he spotted a fallen cup on the ground - _a goblet_ - his mind supplied. In a moment of instinct he pointed his wand at the goblet and ordered, "Float."

To the surprise of all watching, the goblet rose.

Dropping his arm in wonder, the goblet fell. "I _can_ do magic." Harry whispered, staring at the wand in his hand in amazement.

"Impossible." Someone whispered.

"He didn't even use an incantation." He heard someone else say.

Murmurs broke out once more but Harry paid them no mind. He was a _wizard_!

Harry felt as if something had just lifted from his eyes and he was seeing the world for what it truly was for the first time -_ Odd, as he didn't remember the world at all_ - he felt as though the chains had been cut from his wrists and ankles and he had been set free. He could do anything. He knew with a certainty that came from deep within him that it was true, just as he had known that he was a wizard without being told.

Before he could experiment anymore, the Nurse-Lady interrupted his thoughts. "Come on Harry, best we get you up to the Infirmary and see what we can do about this?" She said it in a falsely cheerful tone, and Harry wondered why she was upset - he hadn't done anything had he?

Harry just shrugged and agreed, figuring that the Nurse-Lady probably knew what she was talking about. "Are you going to get rid of my headache? Can magic do that?" The thought of magic fascinated him and he wanted to know as much as he could about it.

With a small sad smile, the Nurse-Lady - _She must be a witch_ - nodded at him.

The walk up to the infirmary was strange and wondrous to Harry. He stared at everything, commenting in an awed voice on all the amazing things he saw. _The pictures - they're moving! Oh, and so are the stairs! How do they do that?_ The nurse witch just watched him with sad eyes and answered in a soft, almost teary voice.

Harry didn't understand why she was sad, but then, he couldn't remember anything. Maybe she had known him? Maybe something bad had happened to her and she was sad? Whatever it was, Harry didn't ask.

When they got to what the Nurse Lady - _"I'm Poppy Pomfrey, the school Nurse."_ - called the Hospital Wing, Harry just stared around the large white room in curiosity. When Poppy headed over to the fireplace, he watched as she picked up a large tin that sat next to the fireplace and threw some green looking powder into the fireplace.

"Wow!" Harry whispered as the flames flickered green.

Poppy leant forward and to Harry's surprise stuck her head into the fire with a call of "St. Mungos!"

Harry could only stare, bug eyed, as Poppy exchanged a few words with somebody on the other side of the fire - at least, that's what Harry assumed she was doing.

When she pulled her head back out of the fireplace, it flared for a moment and a tall, fair-haired man stepped forward.

"He's just over here." Poppy said to the man, leading him back toward Harry.

Harry could only stare at her, "How did you _do_ that? Can I do that? How does it work?" Harry was amazed and curious and eager to have answers.

Poppy and the man - _medi-wizard_ - stared at him. He found it strange that he was able to identify these things despite not having any recollection of learning anything about these things. It also seemed that he was only able to recall the names of these things when confronted with the actual object or person.

The man approached Harry and smiled at him, "I'm going to take a look at your mind, to see what memories you might still have."

Harry grinned, "You can do that? Can you teach me?"

The man gave him a nervous sort of smile, "You could probably ask someone else to teach you."

"Oh, that would be cool." Harry smiled.

"So, is it alright if I have a look at your mind?" The medi-wizard asked.

Harry shrugged, "Sure."

The man pointed a stick, a wand, similar to Harry's own at him and said in a soft voice, "Legilimens."

Harry felt a strange sensation in his mind almost as soon as the word was spoken and felt a strange compulsion to stand still.

The feeling probed and prodded around his head - _strange, it's like moving water_ - before carefully pulling out. The man's face was frowning when Harry's eyesight came back into focus and Harry wondered what he had found that made him so worried.

"I'm afraid there will be no recovery of his memories. They are completely gone from his mind." The man said.

"Are you sure?"

Harry jumped at the new voice. It was the dark man from before.

The medi-wizard nodded in finality.

"You have to be able to do _something_. This is the Boy-Who-Lived!" That was a woman, with her grey hair pulled up into a bun.

Harry got the feeling she was quite strict.

"It's ok, Minerva." Harry blinked at the old man who spoke, he had a long beard and the strangest clothes - o_r was it strange? It seemed quite normal to these people?_ - and half moon glasses.

The woman - Minerva - didn't look like it was ok. Harry was confused.

"What's a Boy-Who-Lived? Doesn't everyone live?" Then his eyes lit up, "Oh, do dead people live here? Like, like Zombies?"

"Severus." The old man said warningly, twinkling blue eyes glancing over to the man with the dark eyes.

"I wasn't going to say anything." The man said, sounding strained.

Harry frowned, wondering if they were going to ignore his question or answer it.

Severus seemed to notice his look and said in a mildly scathing tone, "No, Potter, there are not zombies in the Wizarding world."

"Oh." Harry looked around, trying to see if there was something else he could ask about, but the woman, Minerva, started up again.

"There has to be _something_, even if it will help him relearn everything, we can't let the Boy-Who-Lived wander around with no knowledge of who he is!"

Harry turned to Severus, since he had answered his other questions so far, "What's a Boy-Who-Lived."

"You are." The man sneered as the medi-Wizard replied.

He sounded annoyed now as he said, "I know very well who he is, but there is just nothing I can do. The boy has no solid memories of his entire life. His memory learning is intact, his knowledge of spells and magic untouched and as such he will not have to relearn everything, only be reintroduced to it."

"How can he retain all that knowledge with no recollection of learning them?" Minerva argued.

"It is quite possible, Minerva." Severus said, turning back to the conversation. "You can take away a person's entire memory and they will still be able to walk and talk and do things that they have learned, it is an ingrained knowledge not connected to the memories of learning it."

There was a sigh from the old man. "So there is no possible way he would remember his friends? His teacher's?"

"No. I imagine he will be quite overwhelmed too, he will know many things instinctually and it might be a bit much."

Harry laughed, "It's not really, I'm fine, although it is a bit annoying that you keep talking about me as though I'm not here. But this, it's all so amazing!"

The teacher's all looked at him. This boy who was so carefree and innocent - if a little outspoken - and amazed at the things he had not been amazed at before. Was this who the boy would have been had he not had such heavy responsibilities? Was this the type of person Harry really was underneath everything? Was this the person Harry would have become had his parents survive?

Harry himself didn't know that these questions circled inside the heads of those present, and nor would he be able to answer them if they were voiced aloud. But he did know the inexplicable feeling of freedom and wonder that had begun to well up inside of him. Yes, he may have been a bit indignant at having his memories taken away from him, but the truth was he didn't know what he was missing if he was feeling free now, what had he felt before hand?

Harry didn't know, nor was he all that worried about it. Right now, he wanted to learn magic, he wanted to be able to do _anything_, he wanted to explore _everything_!

And was going to start, straight away, no body would hold him back, no body would cage him. He felt free. He felt _alive_.


	2. Circumstances

**Circumstances**

**By Whitelonewolf**

**Summery: Sequel to Obliviate. Harry - by request - is resorted, he's afraid that he's upsetting people and has a little conversation with the Sorting Hat as to how he's changed.**

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Harry stared up at the ceiling of the infirmary he had been practically caged in for three days since being obliviated - not that I remember it - and wondered when he would be allowed out of the room. There was nothing to do in there. Poppy had brought him books to read, to re-introduce him into the Wizarding world. But Harry knew it wasn't the same.

Those books, they only made it worse. Harry read about Dragons and Unicorns and Abraxian and other amazing creatures, wanting nothing more to escape the confines of the Hospital Wing to be able to find one of the creatures. To reach out and be able to touch something so wondrous.

He read about a place called Diagon Alley and couldn't wait to see it. He read about Quidditch and felt a thrill when thinking about trying it.

He had already asked Poppy, and Albus (the old wizard who had seemed to be in charge and was in fact headmaster) and even Severus (the few times the man had come to try a new potion on Harry) when he could get out and each time the answer - if there had been any - was the same. Soon. Yet he was still stuck there, still waiting to be let out to explore this glorious place.

He knew they didn't understand his wonderment. He knew they thought it would wear away. But Harry didn't think it would. He didn't understand how they didn't feel the same way. How could they be surrounded by such brilliance and take it all for granted?

He felt caged. He felt alone. He wasn't even allowed Hedwig - "Wizards have owls for pets? Cool! Do I have one?" - his snowy white owl, for company.

He didn't like feeling alone and caged. He tried to talk to Poppy when she was there, and Albus when he visited. But they stared at him with the same expressions. A strange sort of grief entering their eyes whenever they looked at him. Pity and sadness all rolled into one. He despised it.

He didn't like that feeling. He didn't like feeling angry and upset. But that was how he felt every time that damnable look was thrown his way. It drove him mad, caused him to clench his fists in annoyance to stop himself from shouting out - that sort of thing wasn't accepted - and it started to wear down on him.

That night though, that night Harry had made a decision. He didn't like feeling caged, he didn't like feeling alone, he didn't like feeling alone, he didn't like feeling angry. So he wasn't going to let himself.

He was going to be free, he was going to be alone and he wasn't going to let anything make him angry.

It was in this attitude that Harry Potter woke up the next morning determined to get out.

"I want to be resorted." He had all but demanded when Poppy came in to give him breakfast.

She looked briefly surprised before smiling softly, sadly, and saying, "Of course dear, soon."

Harry shook his head. "No, I want to be resorted today. I want to get out of here."

Poppy straightened and frowned slightly, "Now Mr Potter-"

"Harry." Harry interceded.

Poppy blinked, "Very well, Harry, I am not yet sure you are well enough-"

Harry laughed. He laughed because he didn't want to shout. Laughing made him feel better, and so he cut Poppy off with a soft, light-hearted laugh. "I don't think you have anything to worry about Poppy. I lost my memories. I'm not concussed or injured or hurting in any way. You've kept me here for three days. I want to leave, I want to see Hogwarts, and flying horses, and my own owl."

Poppy seemed surprised and a little unsure, however, she dutifully went to find Albus and ask him about letting Harry rejoin the school as soon as he was done eating.

Harry smiled as she left to carry on his request. The day before he had been visited by the two teenagers Hermione and her friend, Ron - "I'm Ron, I'm your best mate. Have been since you first came to Hogwarts. We've been through a together mate, and I'll help you remember everything, promise." - who, despite their cheery acting, had that same sadness seeping from them.

Harry found that he didn't really want Ron to help him remember. Not if it meant being in that sadness all the time. It made his chest tight, and his stomach clench to think that he was the fault behind that sadness, that he was causing this pain to all these other people - I can't be someone I don't remember - because someone had taken the memories of his life away.

It made it worse when Ron and Hermione told him about who he was. He was a legend, a hero. He had saved the wizarding world, brought about the downfall of a Dark Lord, a Lord Voldemort - "Who?" "We don't say his name." "Why not? Is it cursed or something?" "No, we just don't say it." "Well that's stupid." "You always say that mate. You call him by his name all the time, I used to hate it when you did that." "What's his name?" "V-V-Voldemort." *snort* "Really? That's funny." - who was trying to kill him for some reason. He'd saved everyone again when he thwarted Voldemort's efforts to steal the Philosopher's Stone, and saved Ron's sister, Ginny, when he killed a Basilisk - "A giant snake? I killed a giant snake?" - and then he'd been so brave bringing back... Well, he didn't know who. At that point Albus had returned, interrupting their rather depressing chat , sending Hermione and Ron off on their way.

It wasn't that he didn't think Ron and Hermione were nice people. He was sure that he could have been friends with them before, maybe they could still be friends now if only they stopped looking at him like that. It was like they expected him to still be this person he didn't remember or know. It was like they expected him to be the same - but how do I know what the same is? - and every time he did something different, they'd get that sad look back in their eyes. At one point, Harry was afraid Hermione was going to cry! Thankfully she got herself together quickly and held it back, but Harry wasn't sure he could handle all the depression. He just wanted to explore. He didn't want people depending on him, or expecting things of him.

When Poppy came back to tell him Albus - "You must start calling him Professor Dumbledore, Harry." - had agreed to let him be resorted after dinner, Harry was thrilled.

He was getting out! He was about to start his life. Finally.

When Harry reentered the Great Hall for the first time in his newly modified memory he almost hesitated. Heads turned, whispers broke out, people pointed and craned their necks to get a look at him. Harry found it odd that they would all be so fixated on him, despite being told about all the 'amazing' - reckless and stupid and probably so fun - things he had done. He didn't view himself as a saviour, or a hero. He didn't remember being a hero. He didn't remember anything. He just wanted to make new memories, he just wanted to learn about all the amazing things he had read about, he just wanted to be normal.

Well, he would have to make a point of ridding his Boy-Who-Lived - really, what a stupid title, of course I've lived! - title.

He stepped up onto the raised platform at the front of the Great Hall, looked up at the sky-showing-ceiling once more to remind himself of the wonders of magic, before he sat down on the stool and placed the hat on his head with a small smile. He was excited.

His eyes were plunged into darkness and a little voice entered his mind.

"Well, well, what have we here? Mr Potter with his mind rewired. Ah, but you don't like being called that anymore I see. Harry it is then. Let's see..."

Harry blinked in the darkness and couldn't help but smile even wider. "So you do talk inside my head, I wondered about that."

The hat chuckled, "You've been wondering about a lot of things I see."

"Yes." Harry replied quietly, "I had to decide what to do with myself. It was so boring up there."

"I imagine it was. Eager for Quidditch I see, eager to explore - perhaps you should look into a carrier of Dragon taming, or Magical Breeding as you seem so interested in magical creatures."

Harry felt his eyes widen underneath the hat, the prickly fibres tickling his eyelashes. "Really? That would be fun."

The hat chuckled again. "Yes. And just as dangerous as your passed career choice."

"What was that?"

"I believe you wanted to be an Auror."

"An Auror? But that would be so depressing. Why would I want to chase after bad guys for a carrier? Aside from protecting people of course. And from what I've heard I've done enough of that."

"I'm not sure if you were set on it, Harry, I think you just wanted to help people."

Harry instantly felt bad.

"You mustn't worry over it. It is good for you to change."

"Have I changed?" He asked quietly, that question having been at the forefront of his mind since Hermione and Ron had left the infirmary.

"Well that depends on the way that you look at it. You still have the same values, the same ideals, but you go about them in a different order. Now, you are taking care of your own needs first. I find the difference between your experiences rather intriguing and as such they are what has attributed to your changes." The hat explained.

Harry frowned, trying to understand, "So, you're saying that since things are happening differently, that is what has made me different?"

"Essentially, yes."

"Is that good or bad?" Harry asked curiously.

The hat chuckled, "I don't think so. In fact, I have a feeling - depending on where you are put - that this change will be good for Hogwarts. Besides, I like you better this carefree."

Harry settled back a little and smiled, "Well, then I guess that leaves the question of where you are going to put me?"

The hat tilted forwards, nodding in agreement. "Yes, it does. Do you have any preferences this time? Last time you did not want to go to Slytherin."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes, I believe it had something to do with the impression people had already placed upon you. You had not been told anything good about that house, and then a boy you did not like was sorted there, strengthening those views."

Harry frowned. "Is it really that bad?"

The hat considered this, and Harry could feel it frowning. "If I were to be honest with you, I would say that any house could produce bad people and bad choices. It is the expectations of others that make Slytherin House such a tainted place. Someone needs to stand up for them."

Harry laughed, "Are you going to put me there and expect me to stand up for them?"

The hat chuckled, "Oh no, a Slytherin cannot change a non-Slytherin's view about that house."

"Oh, so then where are you going to put me?"

"Wherever you wish to go."

Harry grinned. "I don't mind."

"And that, makes all the difference. Very well, I think you'd best be...HUFFLEPUFF!"

Harry pulled the hat off with a small smile, nodding to it gratefully as he placed it back on the stool. The Hall was silent, dumbfounded that their saviour had ended up in Hufflepuff.

Harry just walked calmly over to the table sporting yellow and black crests, a small grin winding it's way onto his face as he passed what could only be Gryffindor table. Harry noted Ron and Hermione - indeed most Gryffindor's - shocked faces, falling into disappointment as they realised that Harry - just as the hat had said - really had changed.

When he reached Hufflepuff table several people made room for him quickly, but Harry found a little spot at the end of the table where he could sit and be himself as well as observe those around him. He didn't remember these people, yet they remember him. He wanted to gage who were the sort to be sad around him, and who weren't.

He wasn't going to surround himself with sadness - not this time - the thought flickered across his subconsciousness.

Harry eagerly awaited dinner, remembering reading about it's splendour in one of the books Poppy had leant him.

Albus stood and cleared his throat, "Yes, well, congratulations Mr-"

"Harry." Harry interrupted, calling out loudly from his spot and turning a few heads in the process. "Just Harry."

Albus blinked as hushed whispers tumbled around the room. "Of course, congratulations, Harry, now for the feast." He clapped his hand and dinner appeared.

Harry, eager for a nice roast, dug into the potatoes and pumpkin and meat eagerly, ignoring the looks he was receiving from almost everyone in the hall.

Halfway through enjoying his steak someone sat across from him and said,

"Congratulations, and I suppose a welcome to Hogwarts is in order too."

Harry looked up and found himself looking into big, distant blue eyes, belonging to a long-haired blonde from Ravenclaw - judging by the crest on her robes - with red radishes hanging from her ears.

Harry blinked and then smiled. "Thanks."

She returned a half-smile, "Your welcome. I'm Luna Lovegood, you are?"

Tilting his head - I thought I went here before? - he replied. "Harry. Just Harry."

"Well 'just Harry', did you know that the best place for breakfast ice-cream comes from Honeyducks?"

Harry blinked several times, his grin still on his face as he contemplated her words. "No, I didn't. Ice-cream for breakfast? That's sounds like a good idea."

"I've never tried."

Harry laughed softly and asked, "Sorry, but I thought I came here before? Didn't I know you then?"

Luna's smile became mysterious. "Of course you did. Everyone knew Harry Potter. But you are not Harry Potter, you are just Harry. And with all those witherwilts in your head you wouldn't remember me anymore."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Witherwilts?"

Luna nodded sagely, "Oh yes, witherwilts are the product of the jealousy of someone who has lost everything, they track down the person someone is jealous of and infects their memories."

Despite being told he was obliviated, Harry found Luna's description much more fun - I wonder if they're real? - and he asked, "You don't suppose I'll accidentally set them on someone else do you?"

Luna shook her head. "Oh no, I have a feeling you will change their pesky ways."

Harry grinned before giving a mock sigh, "And I was hoping to set them on Poppy to stop her from dragging me back to the Hospital Wing."

Luna giggled. "That would be a sight. I don't think that's a good idea though. We need Madam Pomfrey with all her memories of healing."

Harry made a disappointed face and sighed again. "I guess you're right." He grinned at her. "Are those radishes?"

Luna touched one of the radishes and nodded, her expression shifting ever so slightly. "Yes."

"They look cool. Are they magical? Is that how they stay alive?"

Luna giggled again, her wide blue eyes bright. "Yes, they have a little magic in them. But not much. There's far more magic in Nevill's greenhouse."

"Whose Neville?" Harry asked, curious about this greenhouse.

Luna turned and pointed to Gryffindor table. "He's over there, a bit shy, but I think you'd get along. You seem to be easy to get along with, and Neville likes just about everyone."

"Do you think if I asked he'd show me his greenhouse?" Harry asked hopefully.

Luna nodded with a large smile. "Neville would be delighted to show someone his greenhouse."

"Awesome." Harry smiled, looking back down to have a bite to eat.

"You seem very intrigued with magical things?" She said with a smile. "I like that, I think this place is very special."

Harry looked back up quickly. "Yes, I think it is too." He grinned, "I'm glad someone else agrees."

Luna blinked and asked, "What do you like best about Hogwart's so far?"

Harry laughed, "The food."

She smiled at him, "Well, I suppose you haven't yet had any classes, nor would you have played Quidditch... Do you think you will?"

Harry tilted his head, "Play Quidditch? Yeah, I think I will. It seems like fun."

Her smile widened, "That's good. I think Draco Malfoy would be upset if he lost his best competitor."

Harry tilted his head again. "That name sounds familiar. I think Ron mentioned it yesterday? Who is he again?"

Luna turned again and pointed to Slytherin table. "The blonde one, he's kind of haughty looking, but I think it's all the Nargles."

Harry laughed softly, "So he's good at Quidditch?"

Luna turned back to him and nodded, "Oh yes. But I have a feeling you will do quite well."

Harry grinned. "Do I like Draco?"

Luna tilted her head, "I don't know. Have you met him yet?"

Harry decided then and there that he like Luna very much. She didn't assume or expect him to be the same, she didn't try to tell him who he was, or what he liked or what he should be. She let him be himself.

"No. Not yet."

Luna shrugged. "Perhaps you will, perhaps you won't. Though I don't know how kindly he will take to meeting you. He doesn't much like Hufflepuffs."

Harry laughed. "He looks kind of grouchy." He said after searching out the blonde boy about his age again.

"Yes, he did seem disappointed to have lost his prize enemy." Luna smiled in a airy sort of way.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Prize enemy? We didn't like each other?"

Luna blinked twice. "Unfortunately the Slytherin Prince lost his arch enemy to an unfortunate case of amnesia. I am unaware if they truly did not like each other, I had a theory that it was just the thrill of competition and the fight. Although I don't believe hate is needed to have a rivalry." Luna said in a contemplative way.

Harry chuckled, "I suppose that's true." He looked over at Draco curiously. "Why did we not like each other?"

Luna tilted her head, "You don't like him? Already? But I thought you had not met?"

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise before laughing again. "Good point. He won't punch me if I introduce myself will he?"

Luna smiled vaguely at him. "I believe there is a virus going around that may cause people to act strangely around someone they have yet to meet, and so they may do unexpected things. It is very possible the Slytherin Prince may be hostile."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle again - interesting way to put things - and ask with one eyebrow raised, "Slytherin Prince?"

Luna seemed thoughtful, "I think the nargles have caused him to hallucinate, as the Wizarding world does not actually have Princes."

Harry grinned roguishly, "So it's a self-proclaimed title is it?" He chuckled.

Luna gave a little nod. She chattered on about this and that as Harry finished his meal, serving herself and Harry some dessert when it appeared.

This was why Harry wanted out. To laugh and enjoy the company of others and to learn about things of magic. Luna was intriguing and funny and peaceful. Harry liked that. But most of all, he liked that she wasn't sad.


	3. Difference

**Difference**

**By Whitelonewolf.**

**Summery: Sequel to Circumstances. Harry tires of the sadness that follows him, and in an attempt to free himself of it, he turns to Draco Malfoy, one of few who aren't in mourning of who he used to be.**

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Harry left the Defence Against The Dark Arts classroom in slight aggravation. He had been doing so well in staying carefree, enjoying the things he was learning and the things he was experiencing. However, he had just shared a class with the Gryffindor's. Ron and Hermione had sat with him once more, the stagnant sadness that followed them suffocating Harry as they asked him about how crappy potions was, and if Snape was being his usual annoying self -_ But that's not what I think!_ - and was when was he going to try out for Hufflepuff Quidditch team?

The thing Harry didn't like about Ron and Hermione and everyone else - aside from the ever present sadness - was the questions they asked as if he was still with all his memories. Ron asked _when_ he was going to join up for the Quidditch team, not _if_ like Luna would. Hermione hoped his Potions lesson wasn't too horrible, instead of asking him what his classes were like and which ones he enjoyed.

Harry wished he could be in the same classes as Luna. But the interesting girl was a year below him.

In his free classes, Harry often quickly slipped away to the Owlery -_ How did he know to get there?_ - to visit Hedwig. He like the Owl's company as much as he enjoyed Luna's. There was a calming presence about her that Harry revelled in, and he liked to take her down to the lake to lie in the sun and star at the clouds.

Hedwig liked to catch fish in the lake and splash him with water. It was peaceful. It was everything Harry wanted. With Hedwig and Luna, he never had to be anybody.

Harry felt it was time he found someone else who didn't expect him to be someone he wasn't.

It was time to visit Draco Malfoy and discover if the glares and scathing remarks were a cover for sadness or a true dislike? He would approach the other boy during herbology after lunch.

He retrieved Hedwig from the Owlery and headed down to the lake as usual, escaping Ron and Hermione with a quick goodbye and made up excuse. He didn't feel bad. Just free.

His bag was discarded by a tree and he let himself fall back onto the grass with a happy smile.

"You, Potter, are the weirdest person I've ever had the displeasure of knowing."

Harry recognised the haughty drawl almost straight away. It was one of the few voices that had no hidden meanings in it. One Harry enjoyed to hear even though it was full of insults, if only to not hear sadness.

Harry opened his emerald eyes, his smile not diminishing in the least. "You found me first." He said simply, not commenting on the other boy's sneer.

The blonde Slytherin blinked. "What?"

"I was going to talk to you later in Herbology." Harry explained, wiping the water from his arm as Hedwig flew overhead.

Draco glared up at the owl briefly, transferring that glare down to Harry when she returned to the lake. "And why, Potty, would you bother talking to me?"

Harry laughed. "Harry, just Harry. I wanted to introduce myself."

Draco frowned. "Have you lost your head?"

Harry grinned roguishly, "I lost my memories if that counts."

Draco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "No, it doesn't. Why were you going to introduce yourself to me?"

"Because I've heard you are a good flier, and I was going to see if you'd like to go flying with me?" Harry answered with a smile.

Draco's eyes rose in disbelief. "What are you, a pouf? Sorry, Scar-head but I'm not into boys."

Harry laughed, the loud joyous sound echoing over the lake. "I didn't mean it like that. Just a game between two seekers. I want to see how good a flier I am."

Draco's head tilted as if on it's own accord. "Haven't you been flying yet?"

Harry shook his head, stretching his arms up to sit underneath his head. "No. So are you in?"

Draco frowned. "I haven't even told you my name yet." He snapped.

Harry laughed again, quieter this time. "So tell me."

The Slytherin seemed bewildered. "Look, we aren't friends. We aren't _supposed_ to be friends. Ever."

"Why would that stop you telling me your name?" Harry asked, a small smile quirking his lips upwards.

Draco scowled, "Because I hate you. You should hate me too. You're a stupid Gryffindor with a stupid four-eyed face, a pathetic mudblood for a mother and a blood traitor for a father."

Harry didn't let it hurt him. His smile didn't waver. "Come now, did you really mean that, or are you just trying to cause an argument?" At Draco's disbelieving look Harry continued, "You know, I heard something interesting the other day. Someone said 'Hate isn't needed to have a rivalry'."

Draco blinked, his storm grey eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What are you trying to say?"

"If you want someone to argue with, I'm happy to do it, but you don't have to hate me just to have an argument." Harry sat up and jumped to his feet, looking over at the Quidditch pitch. "How about you let me go get my broom," - _I have my very own broom! Cool!_ - "and we can have a small game while you decide what to do."

Harry whistled to Hedwig and began a slow jog up to the castle.

Footsteps sounded behind him and he grinned.

"You are an idiot." Draco muttered as he caught up. "My names Draco Malfoy, if you didn't already know, which I find hard to believe."

Harry laughed. "Well you're right. I've already been told your name."

Draco rolled his eyes, "No doubt by Weasel-bee and his stupid know-all girlfriend."

Harry looked over at Draco in surprise. "Are they really going out?"

The other boy snorted. "I wish. It might stop all that endless bickering."

Harry chuckled, "Yes, that does get a bit annoying."

Draco had a sardonic look on his face. "Trouble in paradise, is the 'Golden Trio' breaking apart? I've noticed the tension there."

Harry attempted a shrug as they jogged up the stairs and slowed to a walk. "I don't know. I don't really remember them, you know?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "No. I try not to think like Gryffindor at all times."

"I'm a Hufflepuff." Harry pointed out with a half smile.

"That's even worse." Draco said as if it should have been highly obvious.

Harry laughed as Draco started to turn towards where Harry assumed the Dungeons were. "So, on the Pitch in ten minutes?"

"Whatever Potter."

Harry grinned in triumph and raced to get his broom, Hedwig hooting as she flew above his head, seeming to sense his excitement - _I'm going to fly!_ - about his game with Draco.

Harry rummaged around in his trunk - _why are my clothes so big?_ - until he found the broom, Hedwig waiting patiently atop of the lid.

Harry caught up to Draco in the entrance hall, ignoring the strange looks they received, Harry grinned at the other boy. "Ready to go then?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "I'll have the snitch before you even get to the Pitch." The boy sneered.

Harry sniggered, "Rhyming?"

"Shut up Scar-head."

Harry laughed outright.

As they descended out onto the grounds Draco glanced at him curiously and asked, "So what's got Weasel and Granger so uptight?"

Harry looked over at him, huffing slightly at the reminder of the sadness, "Oh... That." He sighed, "They keep looking at me sadly."

Draco raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "Sadly?"

Harry huffed again, "Yes. Like Poppy and Minerva and Albus."

Draco's eyebrows shot up and Harry remember he wasn't supposed to say the teacher's first names, "What are you talking about Scar-head?"

"Sadly, pityingly. It's frustrating because I can't remember why they're so sad." Harry looked over at Hedwig, who had just landed on his shoulder and nibbled on his ear affectionately.

He smiled, reaching up to pet her.

"I had noticed their pathetic misery, but I hadn't realised it was so... Well, pathetic." Draco smirked suddenly, "If I were you and I had just lost my memories of them I'd be rejoicing."

Despite the rudeness in that statement Harry laughed, "But you wouldn't remember knowing them so how would you know to rejoice?"

"I'd leave myself a letter."

"Now why didn't I think of that?" Harry said dryly.

Draco glared, "Shut up Scar-head, just because you are jealous of my superior birth."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Really? Do you really believe in that sort of stupid stuff? Birth is birth, blood is blood. What's the difference? Just be happy you're alive."

Draco paused, turning his head fully to stare at Harry and Harry stopped with him. The Slytherin opened his mouth for a moment before shutting it quickly and shaking his head. Harry just shrugged after the boy as he continued down to the pitch and followed.

They stopped by the shed so Draco could pinch the snitch .

"Go stay by the stands, I don't want you getting hit." Harry said to Hedwig, ignoring the scathing eye roll - _could eye roll's be scathing?_ - smiling when she hooted, nipped his fingers and flew off to do as he asked.

Then they both took off into the air. The wind rushed against Harry's face, raising his exhilaration as it whistled in his ears. He laughed in delight. This was what magic was for! This thrill, the amazing feeling to _fly_.

"The snitch!" Harry called out, meaning for the boy to release the golden fluttering ball.

Draco grinned and held out his fist, the tiny golden ball fluttering madly in his grasp, eager to be set free. Harry just laughed breathlessly again, his cheeks already starting to tinge pink from the cold and the wind.

Draco released the ball, and the game began. The flew harder than they had ever flown in a game and Draco realised that Harry still belonged in the air, just as much as he ever had. Harry looped and dove, spiralling in and out of the goal hoops. Even without memories of flying, Harry was a natural and Draco had to admire him for it. Draco laughed in exhilaration and followed. He dove sharply, pulling up at the last second, surprised to see Harry right behind him.

They twisted and turned and dove around each other racing around the pitch side by side, each competing to get further ahead, before veering off suddenly to shoot off in another direction. Harry shot in between the goals, reaching out and grabbing at the pole, his momentum sending him spinning around as he let go and went shooting off in the direction he had came.

Draco shot passed him, pulling sharply up, flying vertically for ten or so meters before letting himself free fall several more meters back toward the ground, taking control of the broom again and spinning off in a different direction.

They circled the pitch, diving here and their, spiralling in and out of a barely controlled dips and spins before Draco suddenly pulled up short.

"There!" The Slytherin called out, eyes catching sight of the elusive golden ball darting about near the bottom of the far end goal hoops, Draco leant down on the broom, egging it on, hearing Harry's whoops of delight not far behind him.

Harry drew level with him and they began to circle each other, laughing at the thrill and the danger of such a move as they spiralled to the ground. Draco pulled up first, knowing the broom would hit the ground if he left it any longer. Harry didn't. He pushed the broom faster, a wild grin on his face.

Draco watched in open awe as Harry deftly pulled the broom up, snatching up the snitch briefly before laughing breathlessly and letting it go again.

"Again." He called, circling around to face Draco, "Let's go again!"

Draco, determined to beat him this time, grinned back and nodded. "Yeah!"

Neither of them noticed the crowd of students that turned up to watch them perform their aerial tricks, neither of them noticed Ron's angry face, or Hermione's worried one, nor the clicks and flashes that always accompanied the photographs of Collin Creevey.

Draco refused to land until he had caught the snitch at least twice, even if that meant Harry catching it three more times.

By the time they landed, they both had sharp red flushes against their pale windswept faces. Draco's hair was rid of any semblance of neatness. Harry's hadn't changed a bit. They laughed as they landed, Draco's scarf had come lose during the last game and on the way down Harry had flown into it.

"Green and silver suits you, Potter." Draco commented, not noticing the other students watching them.

Harry grinned at him, tucking the fluttering ball into his pocket. "I think the Slytherin seeker position is already taken."

Draco raised an eyebrow arrogantly, "Of course it is, Potter. You better get yourself on the Hufflepuff team though, I need some decent competition up there you know."

Harry laughed, "Well I guess _someone_ has to beat you."

Draco scoffed, lifting his nose, "As if Potter."

Harry simply laughed again and punched him in the shoulder, "You know, we make a pretty good team." Referring to the way the two boys had been able to move around each other without actually_ looking_ for the other boy.

Draco blinked in surprise and stared at him. Harry just grinned, slung his broom over his shoulder and turned towards the castle only to stop and stare at those who were still watching them.

"Oh, hullo."

Draco took a few steps forward, standing a little more forward than Harry, "I don't believe any of you were invited to watch. This isn't a petting zoo." He sneered.

Harry rolled his eyes, grinning all the same, "Don't be a grouch. They were just being admiring." He said, hearing the complaining tone of a witch who was saying, "Can't believe we lost that _talent_."

Draco spluttered, "Grouch?" He exclaimed, "I indulge your idiocy for a second and this is what I get?"

Harry laughed again, continuing his walk forward, glancing back at Draco with a roguish grin, "All the same, you know you had fun."

Draco glared, "Ha, how would you know Scar-head?"

"I heard you laughing." Harry said simply, aiming slightly to the right of the ten or so students still watching them.

"Harry?" A voice called out, a bit sharply.

Harry heard Draco groan behind him, "Here we go, Weasel and his pet have come to complain."

"Shut up Malfoy!" Came the angry voice as Ron stepped forward out of the group of combined Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw - _Luna_ - watchers.

Harry frowned. "Ron, what-?"

"Stay away from him Harry, he's trouble, he's trying to trick you into trusting him!" Ron cut him off, pulling out his wand and glaring at Draco.

Hermione stepped forward hurriedly, placing a hand on Ron's arm and sending him a warning look. "It's just like you to attack him when he's vulnerable, Malfoy." She said coldly.

Harry almost bristled at that. "Vulnerable?" Harry asked, laughing. "How am I _v__ulnerable_?"

Draco crossed his arms and stood on Harry's left. "Yes, how is he_ Granger_?"

Hermione did bristle at Draco's tone but she answered all the same, Harry noted that the other on lookers seemed a bit nervous. "He doesn't remember who you are, he doesn't know the things you are capable of."

Draco laughed coldly, much different from the carefree nature he had laughed in just moments before. "None of you have ever known what I am _capable_ of Granger."

"Exactly!" Ron snarled, "You're Death Eater scum!"

Shocked ripples went through the other watchers and Harry saw Draco tense out of the corner of his eye.

"That's enough Ron." He said sharply, a frown pulling his brow together -_ Such a waste, all that fun now down the drain_ - as he stared at the boy who was _supposed_ to be his best friend.

Ron glanced at him, surprise flittering across his features before that sad look returned, "You don't understand Harry, he's-"

"No." Harry cut him off, his tone no longer holding any merriment in it. "_You_ don't understand. I don't have any memories left!"

"I know, and that's why-"

"Shut up!" Harry snapped, entirely sick of the well-meaning _tutoring_ Ron was trying to give him on his life. "I don't remember being being Draco's enemy."

"Draco?" Ron asked, outraged, "Since when has he been _Draco_? He's one of you-know-who's cronies Harry!"

"No I don't know who!" Harry snarled back, suddenly feeling very mad, "I don't know Draco, and I don't know you, or Hermione, or _anyone_!"

"We know that Harry!" Hermione said, her tone one of understanding and worry, "That's why we are trying to help!"

Harry rolled his eyes and turned away, silently counting to ten.

"Maybe he doesn't want your _help_." Draco spoke up suddenly, his tone just shy of condescending.

"Stay out of this Malfoy, you've done enough already!" Ron yelled.

"Merlin Weasley are you really that thick?" Draco asked, almost laughing, "Can't you see that Potter isn't the same?"

"Yes he is!" Ron shouted back, almost desperately.

"No I'm not!" Harry yelled, spinning around to face the red head, "Why can't you understand that I'm not your Harry Potter anymore?"

Ron gaped at him, shocked. "But-"

"_I don't remember_! I don't know who that person that you cared about was, I don't know how to be him! I don't know if I _want_ to be him. You keep trying to force this view you had of him on me and it's, it's _suffocating_! I can't _stand_ how you look at me every time I do something that's different, but I am different. _I'm not the same_! Just let me be myself!" Harry stopped yelling suddenly, cutting himself off sharply.

"Harry, I..." Hermione trailed off. "We're sorry, we were just... You were our best friend." She sounded defeated.

Harry felt like tearing at his hair. As it was, he dropped the firebolt and ran both hands through his hair, frustration evident on his expressive face.

"I understand that." Harry said softly, trying to convey what he felt across. "And I don't want to hurt you but... Merlin, you were just so _sad_, everyone was so _sad_. Luna was the first person to treat me like I was my own person." He shook his head, green eyes lighting up in memory of that conversation. "You drove me to Draco. I just wanted to escape the sadness, anything was better than that. And Draco was scathing and insulting, and, and _fun_."

He saw Draco's surprise at that statement and grinned.

Ron looked sceptical, betrayed and hurt all in one. Hermione looked devastated, as if she had just realised what they'd all been doing and what it had cost her. The other students, most of whom Harry knew to be on the Gryffindor or Hufflepuff Quidditch teams started to peel away now that the shouting had finished. Harry felt a flash of annoyance even as Luna and two Gryffindor's remained.

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry, I really am sorry. I know you must have been great friends, I know. I could see it. But... I just want to be happy. I want to learn about magic, and explore the strange things it can show me. I just... I want to be free."

There was silence. It was strong and awkward and Harry wanted nothing more to return to the air where he had been having such _fun_.

Then Draco rolled his eyes and drawled, "Dear Salazar Potter, Hufflepuff has turned you into a complete and utter _sap_."

Harry snorted. He couldn't help it. He glanced at the only Slytherin and noted the edgy feeling about him. The boy was clearly eager to get rid of the awkward air and his method of doing so made Harry laugh.

Irritated grey eyes watched him as he laughed, one blonde brow lifted high above the other. "Clearly, that obliviate knocked even more screws loose in that already questionable head of yours."

Harry laughed harder. "Quite, you ponce." Harry laughed. "Don't tell Poppy."

Draco blinked. "Did you just call me a ponce?" Then he shook his head, "And what's with calling the teacher's by their first names?"

Harry shrugged as he started to calm his laughter down.

The Slytherin rolled his eyes, cold gaze returning to the still waiting group of students until Harry's words sunk in properly. "What am I not telling Pomfrey?"

Harry looked up, green eyes glittering with laughter, "That I've got screws lose. Don't want to get locked up in the infirmary again."

Draco blinked several times, shook his head, muttered, "Idiot." And began to stalk off toward the castle, leaving Harry behind.

Harry snickered. He saw the twitch of Draco's lips as the boy hurriedly left. Glancing at those left waiting, Harry threw an apologetic look Ron and Hermione's way before looking between the other two Gryffindors. One was a girl about Luna's age, fiery red hair similar to Ron's, he assumed they were related. The other was a boy, not as tall as Ron, but taller than Harry and Draco, with brown hair and kind but nervous eyes.

Harry grinned, picked up his broom and marched right over to him, "Are you Neville?"

The boy startled but nodded nervously.

"I'm Harry, _just_ Harry." Harry said it loud enough that Draco could still hear and smirked when he saw the blonde shake his head again, no doubt muttering something about Harry's intelligence. He turned his attention back on Neville, "Luna tells me you have a greenhouse."

Neville glanced over at the serenely smiling Luna before he nodded to Harry.

Harry grinned, slung an arm around the boy's shoulder's and steered him away from the others, whistling to Hedwig as he went, "What do you say to showing me around sometime? I'd love to see it."

The boy perked up almost immediately. "Really? Well, s-sure, if you really want to."

"I wouldn't of asked if I didn't." Harry grinned.

As Harry and Neville chattered about magical plants, heading back toward the castle, Hedwig nipped his ear affectionately and Harry smiled.

Things were looking up. Luna and Hagrid would introduce him to all sorts of magical creatures, Neville was going to teach him all about plants, and Harry finally had someone who wasn't afraid to challenge him instead of treating him like fragile glass. The bonus was, the sadness was receding. They finally understood.

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**Sequel is called Points of View.**

**Thanks to all who review/ed! You keep my inspiration soaring.**


	4. Points of View

**Points of View**

**By whitelonewolf**

**Summery: Sequel to Difference. Draco's P.O.V. Draco reflects on Potter's missing memories and how it's changed Potter and those around him, including himself.**

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"I still don't understand _why_ you indulged Potter in that silly little game of his, I mean, he was bad enough as a Gryffindor, but a _Hufflepuff_?"

Draco rolled his eyes at the question he had been getting ever since that Quidditch game with Potter. The boy himself hadn't stopped throwing him those annoying - _he looks so so much happier when he smiles now_ - grins at him, which his year mates were becoming increasingly suspicious about.

Draco scowled, turning away from Pansy who was sitting on the couch beside him with a soft scowl on her face.

"It's all part of his master plan." Blaise smirked, deep brown eyes watching Draco knowingly in amusement.

Pansy raised one perfectly sculptured eyebrow skeptically, "What master plan?" She looked over at Draco expectantly, as if betrayed that he hadn't let her in on this great secret.

Draco rolled his eyes and threw a scornful look back at her, "Zabini doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Oh, it's Zabini now is it?" Blaise asked, his smirk widening. "Does that mean I've stumbled upon something here, thus rendering myself into disgrace?"

Draco glared, having had quite enough of Blaise's antics.

Pansy looked annoyed. "What master plan? Why aren't you telling me anything?" Pansy demanded, her voice becoming shrill in anger.

Draco gritted his teeth and threw a look at Blaise that clearly said 'now-look-what-you've-done'. The dark skinned boy, however, only laughed.

"It's a crafty plan, getting Potter to trust him while the idiot doesn't know who Draco really is. Then, when he least expects it, we strike! Potter won't know what hit him." Blaise said it all in a voice that - to Draco at least - clearly was mocking.

Pansy though, as usual, believed him. "Ohhh! Draco that's positively brilliant!"

Draco wanted smack his head against a wall.

How was it that Potter had managed to mess things up this big without even trying? Draco didn't like Potter, he was quite happy _not_ liking Potter, and he rather enjoyed their fights and arguments, thank you very much. He didn't _want_ things to change.

Potter was supposed to be self-righteous, with a hero-complex and indignant on his friends behalf. He was supposed to hate Slytherin's and adore Gryffindor's, and he _certainly_ wasn't supposed to go around asking people he hates to go flying with him.

Draco sighed and stood, feeling restless. "Come on, let's get going. Potions start's soon."

Blaise chuckled, exchanging a look with Theo who smirked from across the room. Draco glared at them both and they stopped. It was nice to know he still dominated the power in Slytherin - _even if things have changed_ - but then, everyone knew who his father was, and who he worked for.

Pansy huffed, pulling a magazine toward her, "Go ahead without me, you don't include me in anything these days, anyway."

Draco rolled his eyes even as Theo and Blaise followed him. Greg and Vincent merely grunted and began to stand.

"Oh just stay behind." Draco sneered, "Pansy will want an escort." He snapped out snidely, feeling rather frustrated with his 'friends' all of a sudden.

When the three boys exited the room, Draco stalking ahead of them, Theo and Blaise chuckled again.

"So Draco, friends with Potter?" Theo said in his usual bland tone.

Blaise laughed. "I would too if I had the chance. Even if he can't remember anything, being friends with him has to provide some kind of protection, right?"

Draco didn't have to turn around to know that Theo was grinning in agreement. "I'm not friends with him."

"Not yet, you mean." Theo corrected.

Draco spun around glaring. "And so what if I was? I can do what I like!" He snarled.

Theo and Blaise shared a look before both shrugged.

"Of course you can." Blaise said, brushing invisible dust off of his uniform. "When your father approves it, of course."

Draco hesitated. Theo and Blaise wouldn't dare say anything to Draco's father. They were both in the same boat as he was. Both their parents were follower's of the Dark Lord, both of them forced into situations they'd rather run from.

"What do you want?" Draco asked quietly.

Theo smirked. "Want? Why would we want anything, Draco? We merely wish to survive."

Draco crossed his arms and sighed. "So do I. You know there's nothing I can do."

Blaise nodded slowly, his grin returning. "We do. But Potter want's to be friends with you."

Draco rolled his eyes impatiently, "That's just it. I don't _want_ to be friends with Potter. I want things to be the way they were before."

Theo frowned, looking more like the sullen boy that everyone else outside of the three boys saw, "Why? I mean, I get never trying before, there was never a chance of him ever trying to understand. But now he doesn't hate us. _Potter_ doesn't hate us."

"Potter isn't the same person he used to be!" Draco snapped back, "He said so himself, he's different now. _I_ have seen it myself."

"That's the point isn't it?" Theo argued, "Now he might give us _evil Slytherin's_ a chance. Now we might _actually_ survive this damn war!"

Draco wanted to argue, he want to shout back that it was impossible, that they would be doomed anyway, but he knew Theo was right.

Blaise looked confused, "Why don't you want to be his friend? You like his attention, you always have."

Draco raised an eyebrow scornfully, secretly grateful that Blaise had given him a way out of this conversation, "I _like_ his attention? Are you calling me gay?"

Blaise rolled his eyes, "You know what I mean, Draco."

Theo glanced about and gestured up the hall, "Come on, lets keep moving, we don't want someone else to hear this conversation."

Casting the appropriate charms, the three boys moved on.

"He seems happier." Blaise commented suddenly.

Draco raised his eyebrows, this time without derision. "You've noticed it too?"

Blaise snorted. "How can I not, it's _Potter_. Everyone notices Potter."

"Now, more so than ever." Theo added, "The boy is like a five-year-old with an excitable puppy."

Draco snorted, "More like he's the excitable puppy. Or a disease. Whenever he's around you, you can help but get just as excited as he does, and it's ridiculous because he's excited all the time now. He finds everything so fascinating, which is pathetic because it's all _normal_ stuff. And he's always smiling, and calling everyone by their first names and just being, being..."

"Carefree." Blaise put in wistfully, "I'd give anything to feel like that."

Theo laughed sardonically, "Yeah, are you sure he's a disease? I wouldn't really call all that a bad thing, you know."

"Admit it Draco, you want to be his friend." Blaise said, "You always have."

Draco shook his head. "It's different now. _He's_ different now."

"He's fairer now." Blaise commented. "He want's to be everyone's friend, no matter who they are. He makes you _want_ to be his friend."

Theo frowned. "Makes it hard to want to use him."

"That's the problem then isn't it." Draco said, latching onto the half-idea Theo had presented, "We have the opportunity to become his friend so as to survive this war without being killed or chucked into Azkaban or becoming the Dark Lord's plaything, but Potter has a way of making you forget, of making you _care_."

Blaise shook his head, "Does it really matter? Would it really hurt to become his friend?"

Draco didn't answer.

"I guess Potter will always be surprising us." Blaise grinned.

Draco nodded, "Yeah. He will." He sighed in frustration and shook his head, "What are we _talking_ about. Our father's are Death Eater's! They'd kill us for thinking like this!"

Blaise shuddered before looking thoughtful. "What would Potter do?"

Draco smirked, "Tell us to stop calling him Potter."

Blaise chuckled. "Yeah, he seems to do that a lot now. What is it? 'Just' Harry?"

Theo rolled his eyes, "That boy could never be 'just' anything."

They reached the potions classroom and went inside despite that there was still ten minutes until the class actually started. Theo and Blaise took up their usual places in front of Draco, pulling out their equipment before turning to talk to Draco some more.

"What will we do?" Theo asked softly, his brows knitting together as they thought about the predicament they'd been in for the last few years, the masks they'd had to hide behind, the people they had to argue with to keep up the pretence of being their father's children.

It was a lot tougher being a Slytherin than they made it out to be.

Draco straightened his scales idly, placing his elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand. "What will we do about what?"

Theo glared. "This! I don't want to pretend anymore!" Draco could see he was angry and upset, but to most others - _Potter would see through it_ - he appeared as he always did, derisive and sullen.

The door to the classroom opened sharply, causing the three boys to jump and Draco to quickly cancel the privacy spells. Professor Snape stopped, surprised - _not that it showed_ - to see three students in the classroom so early. He frowned slightly.

"You are early today." He said in that soft, clipped tone of his.

The boys shrugged and Blaise grinned, "Thought we'd get a head start in jinxing all the chairs."

Severus rolled his eyes. Blaise was always saying stupid things like that, and Severus had long ago given up on drilling it out of him.

Blaise was muttering something, staring intently at a piece of parchment he had just moment's ago pulled out. Draco frowned, straining his ears to hear the quiet words. He could see Theo curiously watching Blaise and caught his eye. Tilting his head towards Blaise and raising one eyebrow questioningly Draco silently asked what Blaise was saying.

Theo shrugged, a bemused expression sneaking onto his face.

Draco shifted, subtly leaning forward to try and hear what the other boy was saying.

"What would Potter do? What would Potter do?"

Draco's eyebrows shot up and he snorted, no wonder Theo looked bemused. Blaise's little chant was uttered in the quietest of voices, continuously even as the first few students trickled into the room.

Both Draco and Theo glanced about to make sure no one else could hear the Slytherin's unusual mutterings, but aside from a few wary glances people generally kept a wide berth and ignored them.

It wasn't until a boy with a yellow and black crest, wild messy black hair that _couldn't_ have been brushed in days, and wide, curious green eyes entered the room that Blaise stopped his mantra.

Draco looked over at Potter. The boy had a half smile on his - _stupid_ - face as he nodded slightly at a nervous Longbottom who was already partnered with Granger. Potter's eyes flickered to her and back over at Weasley and he smiled shyly at them before looking around the room a bit more and spotting Draco. Immediately, Potter grinned. Despite the empty space next to Weasley, Potter's bright green gaze zeroed in on the spare seat next to Draco.

Draco tried not to feel superior to Weasley, he tried to squash the smug, happiness that Potter had chosen _him_, Draco Malfoy, over those silly little Gryffindor's. He almost succeeded, but judging by the carefree smirk that wound it's way onto Potter's face he figured that something in his expression must have showed.

Draco ignored the look that Theo and Blaise exchanged as Potter dropped his bag next to the table and sat down.

"Hey." He said with a small smile.

Draco nodded at him.

Potter gestured at his equipment, "Mind if I borrow yours?"

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Where is yours?"

Harry shrugged. "Somewhere in my trunk, but I haven't finished sorting through my things yet and figuring out what's what."

Draco frowned. "You've been out for a week yet and you're still going through your trunk?"

Potter shrugged again, looking a little edgy for a moment as he hid his face by ducking down to grab his potions book out of his bag. "Yeah. It's taking longer than I thought."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Pathetic Potter."

Potter sat back up, grinning again. "Just-"

"Harry, I know." Draco rolled his eyes. "That doesn't mean I'm going to call you that Scar-head."

Harry chuckled, eyes travelling to the front of the room as Severus called for attention.

"You will be working in pairs, instructions are on the board." Severus intoned in a cold voice, looking doubtful that any of the students would manage to complete what he thought was a simple task.

Draco smirked. It was typical, intimidating Severus. He glanced at Potter to see what he would make of the snarky Professor, but the boy was watching Severus with an inscrutable expression, eyes alight as he watched his classmates get to work on gathering ingredients and setting up cauldrons.

Draco frowned.

"Haven't you been to Potions yet?" He asked curiously, setting up his own cauldron.

Potter turned to look back at him, "Oh, yeah. Once. It's fascinating." Potter breathed.

Draco rolled his eyes, repressing a grin. "To Potter, everything's fascinating."

Potter grinned brilliantly.

"Did I say something funny?" Draco asked.

Potter shook his head, still grinning widely. "So how do we do this potion?"

"You read the instructions on the board, Mr Potter." Severus swooped down upon.

It didn't faze Potter at all. The boy looked up at Severus briefly, nodded and then moved his gaze beyond him to the board. Draco watched as Potter glanced about, seeing what the other students were doing, before looking back at the board again.

"Harry."

"Excuse me?" Severus asked sharply.

Potter looked up at him with a little smile, "Call me Harry."

Severus just raised his eyebrows, dark eyes inscrutable.

Potter glanced around the room quickly. "I should get the ingredients, right? Since you're setting up the cauldron." Potter asked, wide curious green eyes turning to Draco.

Draco nodded mutely, interested in what Potter would do and how he would react. Instead the boy looked over at Severus. "The ingredients, they have labels?"

Severus frowned. "Didn't you get them last time?"

Potter shook his head, "No. They didn't really let me do much last time after I said that I wasn't sure about what to do." Potter shrugged and then blushed a little - _Potter blushing? That's a first_ - "I, uh, I actually experimented with the scrap ingredients a little."

Severus raised one eyebrow, his expression blank. Draco grinned knowing that the Professor was curious. "Experimented, Potter?"

Potter nodded. "I only used the scrapes though, I wouldn't want to waste anything. I imagine supplying for all the students in Hogwarts must be expensive." He said wryly, a grin stretching across his face. "I was curious so I got one of those little bowls and mixed little bits of the ingredients."

Severus crossed his arms, both eyebrows raised this time. Draco noted that Blaise and Theo had both paused in their potion making to listen in on the conversation. Glancing about, he saw several other students listening too.

"And what did you learn?"

Potter blinked a couple of times before answering sheepishly, "That Ashwood, Newt claws and crushed yew bark shouldn't be put together in a heated bowl."

Draco couldn't help but snicker.

Severus seemed briefly amused again. "As apposed to in a cold bowl?"

"It only smokes before becoming a soft blue mixture. After that I went to look at the books over on the shelves near the storerooms and I found one just on ingredient properties." Potter gestured over to the corner of the room where there was indeed a shelf of books, Draco was glad to see that he wasn't the only one who was surprised to learn that, even Severus was surprised. "That stopped me from making anymore stupid mistakes."

"Well, it seems that obliviating you may have actually increased your braincells." Severus said dryly, "Perhaps we should try it on some other students." Here his gaze flickered over at Longbottom, who gulped and snapped his gaze back to his own work.

Severus hesitated before turning away adding, to the shock of everyone, "Five points to Hufflepuff."

Potter grinned that irritatingly infectious grin at Severus and said, "You know, you could be considered as somewhat intimidating Se-Sir."

"Are you insane!" Draco hissed frantically, "Do you _want_ to-" He cut himself off as Severus turned back around, the whole class waiting on baited breath to see how the short-tempered Professor would take that comment.

"What, exactly, was the point of that comment?" Severus asked, his tone cold.

Potter wasn't fazed, he answered in that same contemplative tone that he had used just moments ago. "Well, some people may work better under a less... frightening stature. I mean, I get being imposing to strengthen resolve and what not, but I'd imagine your class could be quite daunting. Maybe that's why some of your students make a mess of things?"

Severus raised his eyebrows, his arms once again crossing as he scrutinised Potter. "I will forgive your outspokenness only because you did _not_ call me by my first name as you insist to do to all others."

Potter laughed, startling several students. "Well I'm rather fond of my entrails, and I got the feeling if I didn't obey your order I might wake up without some of them."

Severus raised his eyebrow, amusement that Draco now knew Potter could see, glittering in his dark obsidian eyes. "Indeed." He turned away and swept toward the front of the room, "Longbottom, kindly get started or I shall remove Granger from your station and you will work alone."

Potter shook his head as Longbottom jumped and nodded quickly.

"Wow." Draco heard himself say.

Blaise chuckled, "I'll say. I never thought I'd see the day when he let _anyone_ speak to him like that, let alone _Potte__r_."

Potter just laughed again. "Severus isn't that scary, you just have to understand his humour."

Draco stared. He couldn't help it, this was Potter, - _he understand's Severus's humour?_ - he didn't understand that kind of dry, Slytherin humour.

"It's like Draco. Maybe Slytherin's just aren't that comfortable expressing how they're feeling unless it's to profess undying hatred and enmity?" Potter's next sentence caused Draco to first glare, then blink stupidly in surprise and then return to glaring.

Blaise laughed outright. "You know Potter, I do believe I like you. Blaise Zabini."

Potter grinned. "Harry. Just Harry."

Blaise chuckled again as they shook hands. "So I've heard. This is Theo, he's moody and sullen though, so don't mind him."

Potter just smirked. "Part of that Slytherin way then?"

Blaise grinned back, "Seems to be. I sometimes find myself wondering how I got here, I'm sort of like the odd one out amongst us snakes."

Potter chuckled in understanding. "Same here. I'm afraid the Badgers seem a bit timid of me. I don't know, did I hurt one of them when I had my memories or something?"

Blaise faltered for a moment and Draco instantly pulled Potter's attention to himself, "Discarding your inability to even squash a fly, would you mind getting the potions so we can actually _pass_ this class?" He asked sardonically.

Potter grinned at him and Draco flattened the urge to return it as the raven-haired boy strolled off to go get the ingredients. He immediately turned on Blaise when Potter was out of hearing range.

"Idiot!" He hissed.

Blaise shrugged, looking a little guilty. "I didn't mean it. He didn't notice."

"He would have, and then we'd of had to tell him all about Diggory. As if he needs that." Draco rolled his eyes before realising what he had just said and quickly tried to amend himself. "Well, I mean, it'd make him all depressed, and then we would have to put up with it. And Granger and Weasley would more than likely blame us and start complaining about it."

Blaise smirked, Theo looked at him like he was pathetic - _not far off it, what has Potter_ done _to me?_ - and the feeling of wanting to bang his head against a wall returned.

"Well, I'm decided, if you don't make friends with him, I will." Blaise said finally.

Draco glared. He would not rise to such a ridiculous baiting.

Potter returned, curious green eyes flickering between the smirking Blaise and glaring Draco. He set down the ingredients and Draco reached for the first one that rolled his way, eyes flickering down to see what needed to be done before glaring at the board.

"Theo, hand me a copy of your notes." Draco demanded.

"Get your own." The brunette sighed even as he pulled out his wand and copied them, handing them back.

"Thanks." Draco said stiffly, eyes scanning the page to see what the first step was before returning to glaring at Blaise, who looked ready to say something to Potter, "Sit Potter, and grind these like this."

Draco showed him briefly before pushing the bowl over for Potter to continue working in.

"Want to go flying again this afternoon?" Draco asked just as Blaise opened his mouth to speak.

Potter looked up in surprise, his face splitting into that ridiculous - _it isn't really_ - grin. "Sure. I'm meeting Neville in the greenhouse after lunch though, so is after dinner ok?"

Draco shrugged. "I suppose if I must I'll have to make room for it."

"Great." Potter grinned, "You can help me practice for the Hufflepuff tryouts. Their captain asked me if I wanted to play, she said that their current seeker doesn't mind if I take her place, he'll just go to being reserve."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Potter, you don't _need_ to practice."

Potter laughed, sliding the bowl over to Draco and taking a look at the notes to see what needed to be done next. "If we're going to go flying, you'll have to learn to stop calling me Potter."

"Scar-head it is then."

Potter laughed again. "Say, have any of you got any bet snakes. Luna says no one in her house does, and Neville suggested asking one of you guys."

Draco blinked, "Why do you want to know if we have any snakes?"

Potter's face lit up, "Luna says that some people can talk to snakes, and I want to try." He looked up thoughtfully, "Don't you think it'd be cool, to be able to speak to animals?"

Blaise and Draco exchanged a look and Draco - _I guess that settles it then_ - didn't suppress his own wicked grin.

"Yeah. I think it would. Blaise has a snake, we can go see it after class if you want?" Draco suggested.

Potter looked thrilled, "Sure. But now you _have_ to start calling me Harry."

Draco raised his eyebrow derision, "And why would I do that?"

A mischievous glint entered Potter's eyes. "Despite what you keep telling me, it seems to me that we are becoming friends."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Listen Scar-head, no matter if we ever become friends, you will always, _always_ be either 'Potter' or 'Scar-head'."

Potter - _Harry_ - laughed. "Well, I suppose if I can call Severus, Sir, then you can call me Potter. But don't go around encouraging it too much, I want anyone else getting the idea they can get away with it."

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**Okies, so I worked all day to give this to you guys, but I'm not sure I'm completely satisfied with it but I figured I better post it anyway 'cause I promised :P And I'm gonna dedicate it to Mikee and Misses Prongs. (hope you like the interaction with Snape and Harry Mikee :P) Because they were both the first two to review all three of the previous stories, and such love makes me want to write more :D.**

**Special thanks go out to Mikee, Misses Prongs, Darkus, Icylone, Alianna15, farwalker, poisinrose, alice22 and DeliaDee - your reviews made me so excited that my friends were laughing at me. **

**Thank you to anyone who reviews in the future, your reviews are much, much, _much_ appreciated (I act like a dork whenever I get an email saying I've got one.).**

**Oh, and I just noticed that all my italics weren't put in the last stories so just a little note, most of those bits done like - this - or - "this" - where meant to be italiced. Dunno if it makes a difference, but that's how I wrote it.**

**And the last note - There are two more of these planned to be coming. The last one with a bit of Sirius in it - so that will be fun to write!**


	5. The Greenhouse

**The Greenhouse**

**By Whitelonewolf**

**Summery: Sequel to Point's of View. Harry and Neville spend some time in Neville's greenhouse.**

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The sun was bright, hurting when he looked up at the sky from where he lay, so he closed his eyes instead. Eyelids shuttering closed over striking green eyes. Harry stretched his hands up, linking them behind his head. The sun was nice, warm against his skin.

He liked lying in the grass under the sun. He had discovered it was one of his favourite places to be. He was lying in between the shore of the lake and a tall shady tree. It was his spot. He had claimed it.

Luna sat with him, either under the tree or closer to the water, taking off her shoes and socks to trail her feet amongst the soft waves. Harry liked listening to the lake.

Neville sometimes joined them, always sitting under the tree struggling with a homework of some sort - _"Stop worrying about it Neville, come lie in the sun with me."_ - worried about how he wasn't going to pass. Harry thought it was silly. Already he was falling behind in his school work, too busy reading up on all the creatures Luna and Hagrid - _Kind as he is tall_ - told him about, or events and objects Draco mentioned in passing, or one of the plants in Neville's garden.

He didn't care. He was having too much fun. Minerva tried scolding him for it, telling him that he had to keep his grades up, that he needed to pass school. Harry just grinned at her - _I can do anything_ - and told her not to worry so. As it was, his transfiguration essay was half complete, lying somewhere off to his left under his open transfiguration book, pages lifting softly in the breeze. His potions essay, the only ones he handed in on time if only for a growing understand of the snide Potions Master, was sitting further away somewhere around the vicinity of his head where he had discarded it in favour of staring up at the clouds.

Shadows passed over his face prompting him to open his eyes to see who was passing, noting the soft swishing noises of several people walking through the grass. A few Ravenclaw's passed nearby. Harry lifted one hand to wave at them. Two of them grinned and waved back,

"We having a game this afternoon?" Lisa Turpin called, a Chaser in his year.

Harry gave her a thumbs up, "Sure, I'll tell Draco and Justin."

Lisa grinned and waved her hand at him, "Don't bother with Malfoy, I have Charms with the Slytherin's next, I'll tell them."

Harry nodded as the group moved on, chattering away to each other quietly. The few who glanced back at him curiously didn't bother Harry, he just closed his eyes and smiled up at the sky. Looking forward to that afternoon's Quidditch game.

When Draco and Harry had returned to the pitch, like the first afternoon, a few students had trotted down to watch them. Most of them, Harry noted, had been Gryffindor's. The captain of that team had been disappointed to lose their best seeker, but her two beaters - _"How do you finish each other's sentences like that?"_ - Fred and George Weasley had mounted the brooms they had brought down with them and flown up to great them - _"What do you say to a Quidditch game?"_ - and persuaded Draco to let them join in. Harry thought they were brilliant. They told him that were going to start a joke shop, and that when they did, Harry was their business partner - _"You gave us the money to start our shop," "I did?" "Of course, now you understand that you have to be our business partner."_ - which pleased Harry to no end and infuriated Minerva - _"You don't have to worry about my future anymore, I'm going into business with Fred and George."_ - who had given the Weasley twins a week of detentions for putting that idea in Harry's head. Even Draco was warming up to the twins, who in Harry's opinion, were impossible not to get along with.

After Fred and George had joined in, other's grew the courage to come along and play too. Now they had all-house Quidditch teams of all ages that played regularly every few afternoons. There were three Gryffindor's, two Ravenclaw's, four Slytherin's and four Hufflepuff's, including Harry.

It became one of Harry's favourite places to be after the school day was done. Just him and some friends hanging out and playing a friendly game of Quidditch -_ "I can't believe we're playing with Slytherin's." "I know, did you see McGonagall's face?"_ - to the surprise and grudging approval of all, if not most, the teachers. Sometimes Draco and Harry even let others play seeker, but they were always on opposite teams, the competition being something that no one would take away from them.

Harry wondered at how easy it had been to set up that game, to talk and wave at passing Ravenclaw's and Slytherin's and Gryffindor's. He found it hard to believe the stories Ron had told him of loud arguments and fist-fights in hall merely because of House differences. Blaise told Harry it was all his fault - _"You realise you've pretty much destroyed the house rivalries, all on your own?" _- everyone was becoming friends - _"It's your appealing nature, you make people want to be your friend, even if that means being friends with someone they don't like."_ - which again Harry didn't understand. He was just happy doing as he pleased and befriending who he liked, Blaise said that was what drew people in. Harry thought the boy was delusional.

Luna hummed a soft tune over by the water and Harry grinned, relaxing into the grass even further. "When do you think Draco will come?" He asked with his eyes still closed.

Draco hadn't come to lie in the sun yet, but Harry knew that with each time he asked, the boy's resolve was wearing more and more.

Luna's voice held a hint of a smile in it when she answered, "I feel the Dragon is close to approaching the water, but not yet sure of his own courage."

"Courage?" Harry wonder, eyes opening to stare up at the sky. "Does he need courage because of his father?" Ron had told him stories of that too.

Despite his outburst several days ago, Harry had begun to sit with Ron and Hermione in several classes where Neville was already sitting with someone else. They weren't as sad as they had been. They seemed to take what Harry had said to heart - _I didn't mean to yell_ - and realised that Harry really was different. Harry was happy to talk with them, and hear stories of things he could no longer remember. Now that the sadness was gone, Harry found that he rather enjoyed their company - _I wonder if they realise they like each other?_ - even if they would start to bicker right in the middle of a conversation. Harry thought it amusing.

"I believe it so. It has something to do with the Nargles."

Harry chuckled quietly. "I guess it must. He's already playing Quidditch with us, and we sit together in potions, that cannot be any worse than sitting out here with us."

Luna's tinkling laugh echoed out across the lake. "Maybe he is still unsure?"

"Unsure of what?"

"Are you not unsure?" She asked curiously, and that made him pause and think.

He was unsure. He was unsure of how he knew things, like sensing that Ron and Hermione liked each other a tad more than friendship goes, and being able to tell the difference between a joking Draco and a defensive Draco even if both tones sounded like an insulting Draco. He was unsure of being so carefree, or not worrying about grades or detentions or house points. Should he perhaps take a bit more effort to care about such things? Was it unusual to just want to relax and take things as they come? He thought about those sorts of things as he lay in the grass and soaked in the sun but in the end he always came to the same conclusion.

"Of course I am unsure, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying myself." He answered, he looked over to see Luna smile,

"Then that is what you must help him learn." She stood and stretched, "I'm off to help Hagrid with the Threstals."

Harry blinked twice and sat up. "Oh. Is he going to work with them in class soon?"

Luna nodded, "Yes."

Harry grinned, "Awesome. I love Care of Magical Creature's."

Hagrid, Harry thought, was great! Luna had taken him down one day and Harry and Hagrid got along brilliantly. At first Hagrid had seemed to have the same sadness as Ron and Hermione, Minerva and Albus had had. Then, as the afternoon wore on, it disappeared. Hagrid must have seen something in Harry to make it go away and whatever it was, Harry was glad. Hagrid's place became another of his favourite spots.

"I'll come see."

Luna nodded as if she had expected nothing less. Harry smiled, stretched his arms out, feeling the grass shift beneath him as he moved, and pushed himself up onto his feet. Harry collected his things - _how do they always get so far from me?_ - that were strewn on the grass around the area he had lain and waited for Luna to gather her own things.

As they made their way across the grass, towards Hagrid's place. Harry liked the Threstals. Despite being considered an omen, they were very friendly and Harry enjoyed the things Hagrid would tell him as he watched the Threstals play with each other.

They met up with Hagrid just outside the forest, the half-giant - _How did I know that?_ - looking pleased that Harry had come, almost as if he too had known Harry would join them.

"How're ya Harry?" The large man boomed, beetle eyes glittering happily.

Harry grinned up at him. "Good. You?"

Hagrid nodded, "Alrigh', alrigh'. You come teh see the Threstals then?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah, Luna said you were going to see them today."

"Tha' I am. They're jus' through 'ere."

Harry followed Hagrid and Luna, Fang trotting along beside him as they traversed deeper into the forest.

Hagrid told Harry that only people who had seen death could see Thestrals, which was a part of the reason that people viewed them as an omen. Harry wondered who he had seen die, was it his parents - who Harry had almost been heart-broken to learn had died - or was it someone else. He had noticed Luna deftly taking his attention elsewhere the moment he even began to think of asking, and Draco alway's kept things away from such talk of death and pain and Neville, Harry found Neville far too kindly to ever bring up such a question with him.

So Harry stopped wondering. Instead he smiled as a young Thestral bumped his hand, looking for attention, and obligingly began to pat it's rump.

"Have you seen Hedwig today, Harry?" Luna asked curiously, knowing that Harry liked to see his owl.

It was another of his favourite places, the owlery. Harry made sure to visit Hedwig every few days, just to check up on her and have a little chat - _"You're a great listener Hedwig_ - with the beautiful snowy owl, who would always nip him affectionately before he left. Sometimes he would take her down to the pitch on a day that everyone else was busy and go flying with her.

"Not yet, I was actually thinking of going to visit Neville after this." Harry answered, smiling when another Threstal asked for his attention, pulling at his robes with it's mouth.

Luna smiled at the skeletal, winged horses, petting her own.

"He still up in tha' greenhouse o' his?" Hagrid asked with a fond smile.

Harry nodded, grinning as he thought of Neville and his plants. It was his favourite of favourites, the Greenhouse.

When Neville first showed Harry the Greenhouse Pomona Sprout had given -_ "She said I could have because she doesn't use it anymore."_ - to him, he was amazed. Neville had grinned at Harry's awe when they entered the overflowing -_ "You planted all _these_? And grew them by yourself?"_ - greenhouse that first afternoon.

Harry went back as often as possible.

In all Harry's favourite places he felt at ease, he felt happy and tranquil. They were places he could be himself with his friends, and people who he was coming to know as well as he knew himself. But the Greenhouse was special. It was full of so many extraordinary plants, things Harry had never dreamed could exist.

Neville introduced every plant to him, answering any and all of the endless questions - _"They grow just by touching them? Really?" "Well, it has to be gentle and caring, but yes." _- Harry had for him. Neville had only filled his Greenhouse with positive influencing plants - _"There are some nasty little buggers out there, but these are my favourites. Gentle, beautiful."_ - but Harry loved it all the same.

When Neville had finished showing Harry around his Greenhouse, he had shown Harry to the others. They were different. They didn't hold the same peacefulness that Neville's Greenhouse had. They didn't fill Harry with energy or inspiration. They were wondrous, yes, and Harry asked a great many questions, but he always went back to the Greenhouse.

He did most his homework - the stuff that he actually completed - in the Greenhouse. Finding it far easier to come to an idea there than anywhere else.

He had even managed to get Draco there once. The blonde Slytherin had tried to hide his awe, but Harry could tell that he was impressed. Draco had never gone back, but he had stopped truly insulting Neville. He still threw a degrading comment his way now and again, but then Draco did that to everyone, and Neville was learning to tell the difference between the ones that were meant to be hurtful and the ones that weren't.

Harry shifted as a third Thestral approached him and laughed, "Do I have something you guys want to eat?" He asked the horses curiously.

Hagrid smiled at him, "It's yer gentle nature, Harry, they know you won't harm 'em."

Harry grinned over at Hagrid. "Why do people keep saying things like that to me? Was I a horrible person before now or something?"

Luna smiled, "No, even then you had a gravitational pull, it has just gotten stronger."

"You make me sound like a planet or something." Harry chuckled.

Luna just hummed and continued to pet the Threstal's encircling her.

"Alrigh' off with yer, they'll get spoilt if yer give 'em too much attention." Hagrid smiled, shooing at Harry and Luna.

The two friends obliged, waving goodbye to the friendly games-keeper.

"Neville's?" Harry asked.

"Of course." Luna agreed.

Harry laughed shifting his bag so the strap was sitting more comfortably. They trotted along in silence, never needing too much conversation. It wasn't until they neared the Greenhouse that Luna turned to Harry and said,

"I must talk to the Lions, you go on ahead."

Harry smiled and knowing although he knew she wouldn't return for the afternoon. Harry had a feeling she left on purpose, giving Neville and Harry their peace in the Greenhouse, just as Neville rarely intruded on Luna and Harry's place by the lake, or Harry and Draco's solo flying competition's usually held later after a game or two of Quidditch.

Harry thought it amusing that all three of his closest friends had picked their own little space to keep to themselves. He shook his head as he entered the Greenhouse, smiling when he heard Neville's soft voice talking to something in amusement up the back.

He trailed through the plants toward Neville's voice, hands softly touching a few flower's here and there, knowing which ones would lean into the touch and which would shy away from it.

He found Neville at the back, softly speaking to a little bow-tuckle. "How did you get in here?" He was saying, "I think you'll find that there aren't many trees to - ouch - make a home in, in here. Hold still will you so I can get you untangled." The boy sighed and stuck a finger in his mouth. "You'll have to wait 'til Harry comes, he can get you out."

Harry laughed softly, "Looks like I came just in time then."

Neville glanced up in surprise and relief. "You always do. Could you?" He asked, gesturing to the bow-tuckle.

Harry nodded, smiling softly and edging carefully closer to the little stick-like creature that had gotten itself all tangled in one of Neville's vines, he crouched down and reached forward. "Here," He said softly, imitating the kind of tone that Hagrid often used, "You'll make it worse if you shuffle like that, let me. That's it... There we go." Harry smiled as he lifted the vines free and the bow-tuckle stumbled out.

It made several little noises at him that sounded rather aggressive. Harry laughed, "No need to thank me, the forest is that way, there are some splendid tree's in there, though bigger toward the East." Harry pointed and the bow-tuckle glanced that way, made a grudging sound toward Harry and then took off in that direction.

Harry straightened and grinned at Neville, "Feisty little things aren't they?"

Neville laughed softly, "Yeah, I'd been trying to get it out for five minutes. Wouldn't let me near."

Harry chuckled. He liked Neville when they were in the Greenhouse. The usually shy boy was more confident in his element, more himself. He didn't stutter, he wasn't afraid to speak his mind, he was just Neville.

"Look what I found in Sprout's last greenhouse." Neville said, gesturing toward the side of the Greenhouse.

Harry followed with a curious smile, "Something new? I'm surprised Pomona let you have it."

"She doesn't know how to make it flourish, she said maybe I could figure it out as she's struggling with some of the bigger plants at the moment. Apparently one of the younger Ravenclaw's cat's got eaten." Neville said with a small, amused smile.

Harry sniggered, "To bad for the cat." They approached a small table, newly squashed in between the Singing Lilacs and Glowing Tulips.

There was a single pot plant, small compared to Neville's usual choices, with a little stick sticking out of the soil and a small depressed looking vine next to it.

"What is it?" Harry asked curiously, leaning forward to inspect it better.

It was a few different shades, mostly brown and yellow, as it curled itself around the stick similar to how a snake would.

"I don't know. I'm researching it now, but I haven't found anything so far. It seems to perk up a little if I talk to it, but otherwise it's a sad little thing." Neville answered, frowning at it.

Harry placed an elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand, "I wonder... It looks a little like a snake doesn't it."

Neville looked surprised for a moment, before leaning forward and inspecting it closer too. "Oh, your right it does. I wondered what it was reminding me of."

Harry cast a curious look at Neville and asked, "Can I try something?"

Neville nodded, "Sure, go ahead."

With a small nod, Harry turned back to the little plant and focused on imagining it as a snake. "Hullo there."

Beside him, Neville raised his eyebrows, but he had gotten used to hearing Harry murmur in parseltongue in Potions when Draco or Blaise would demand him say something in parseltongue. The two Slytherin's were working on a theory about parselmouths and would approach Harry whenever they pleased as they came up with new idea's or discovered something new they wanted to try out.

The plant shivered and stretched slightly.

"It did something!" Neville breathed, "Harry you did it!"

Harry chuckled, "I haven't done anything yet." He moved his head so it was level with the plant. "You seem a little sad, perk up little one, Neville will take great care of you."

The plant shuddered again and this time it grew a few centimetre's, dark browns and yellows swirling into brilliant shades of greens and reds.

"It's some sort of snake plant." Neville said contemplatively. "This is interesting. I wonder if Malfoy and Zabini would be interested in this."

Harry grinned and stood up, "Maybe you could ask them?"

Neville blinked and Harry and blanched. "Me?"

Harry nodded with a soft chuckled, "You are a lot braver than you give yourself credit for, Neville."

Neville shook his head, rolling his eyes a little, "You only say that because you're nice, Harry."

"I only say that because it's true." Harry countered. "If you want to show Draco and Blais, then show them."

Neville shook his head again, "I wouldn't want to, besides, you're the parselmouth."

"It's your plant."

"Not anymore, how could I help a plant that reacts to parseltongue?" Neville argued, frowning a little but otherwise smiling.

Harry gestured to the plant. "You've kept it alive so far. Besides, I visit often enough, I'll just talk to it whenever I come by."

Neville sighed, "I wouldn't know what to say."

"Don't think about it. Just be yourself."

"You really think I could do this? Talk to the Slytherin's?"

Harry looked at the boy with a wide grin, "Neville, if you put your mind to it, I believe you could do anything."

Neville was surprised into laughing, "I think you've confused me with you."

"Nah, I'm to lazy."

Neville chuckled.

"Besides, how can I you both be my best friends if you don't talk to each other. Now you'll have some common ground to talk on." Harry said simply, ignoring the surprise and disbelief on Neville's face and studying the plant a little more.

"Best friends?" Neville breathed, "Me?"

Harry looked back over at him with an easygoing smile. "Of course. You and Draco and Luna."

"What about Ron and Hermione?" Neville asked, still too surprised to believe what he was hearing.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Ron and Hermione are great, they really are, but they aren't my best friends. You guys are the ones who let me by myself."

There was a moments silence before Neville responded to the sincere look in Harry's eyes, "Thanks Harry." He looked back down at the plant. "I'll go show it to Malfoy."

Harry laughed again. "Don't do it for me, Neville, do it for yourself."

Neville grinned at him, "I'll do it for me. He's down in the Slytherin common room now right? Let's go see him."

Harry laughed at his suddenly confident friend. "Alright, but why do I need to come?"

Neville gave Harry a look, "You have to show them what I'm talking about, I can show him without a parselmouth."

Harry laughed. "I guess you have a point. Let's go then."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews on the last instalment guys! Hope you like this one I got it up sooner than I thought I would. Let me know if you want to see the interaction between Neville and Draco (Don't worry, there'll be some of that later too)**

**Next one is 'A Sirius Confrontation'.**

**If I were to write the new friends having a little party and getting a little drunk... Would you guys like it?**


	6. Speaking in Tongues

**Speaking in Tongues.**

**By Whitelonewolf**

**Summery: Sequel to The Greenhouse. Neville shows Draco the plant, Blaise and Draco continue to demand Harry's Parseltongue abilities and the Slytherin common room is almost blown up.**

* * *

Harry grinned as Neville knocked on the entrance to the Slytherin common room. The boy had been confident up until the last twenty metres to the door where his usual uncertain self decided to make a re-appearance.

Neville waited, the pot in his hands, glancing worriedly at Harry every few seconds, who only smiled encouragingly - if a little amused.

The door swung open, a young Slytherin girl poking her head out. "Yes?" She asked, her brows knitted together in annoyance.

Neville seemed to gulp, "Is Draco Malfoy around?" He asked, his voice a lot more confident than he looked.

The girl scrutinised them for a moment, glaring scornfully at the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff crest's on their robes before turning back and heading into the common room.

"Oi, Malfoy, there's someone here to see you." She called in an irritated tone.

Harry leaned to the side a little so he could see Draco's chair. The blonde boy had raised an eyebrow, stood and was now making his way across to the door.

"Potter?" He sounded surprised, "You knocked? Usually you just walk in." Draco spared a glance at Neville. "Longbottom."

Neville blinked several times. "Er, hi. Wait... How would Harry get in without the password?"

Draco rolled his eyes and tapped the snakes on the door. "The entrance is guarded by snakes, and Scar-head here is a parseltongue."

Neville glared at Harry in betrayal, "You could've just opened the door?"

Harry snickered, "Hey, this is your mission."

Neville huffed before catching Draco's look -_ it's not that scary_ - and blushing. "I, er, I wanted to show you this." He held out the still green plant and glanced over at Harry, "Talk to it."

Harry shrugged, grinning at Draco's curious look before focusing on the plant. "Hey, you still ok down there? There are some people who will want to look at you, they'll be gentle though, I won't let them hurt you."

Draco tried not to look amazed when the plant constricted and then spread suddenly, the greens and red becoming more vibrant. "How's it doing that?"

Neville shrugged. "I'm not sure. It was brown and yellow this morning, but it seems to react to parseltongue. I figured since you and Zabini are experimenting with parselmouths you might find this interesting."

Draco glanced up at Neville, raising his eyebrows as he considered the boy before him. "I do. Thanks. Can I...?"

Neville nodded and placed the pot plant in Draco's outstretched hands. "Sure. Just, be careful with it, I'm sure it's very rare."

Draco nodded, holding it carefully, "Of course. Have you done any research on it?"

"Not yet, but I will be after lunch. I'll let you know if I find anything, yeah?"

"Please." Draco nodded, grey eyes locked on the plant.

Neville grinned, "Great." Then he seemed to get nervous all over again, "I, uh, I gotta get back to the Greenhouse though and finish watering the plants."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Don't let me keep you." He said dryly.

Neville flushed, glanced at Harry and turned to go.

"Stay, Potter." Draco ordered, "I have a use for you."

Harry's shoulder's sunk and he threw Neville an amused look, "Gee, way to make me sound like a puppy."

Harry saw Draco pause, mirth lighting up his eyes for a moment before he shook his head and gestured to inside the common room.

"See you at dinner then Neville."

Neville chuckled, "Sure Harry." He waved and strolled back down the hall, looking much more relaxed than he had on the way down.

Harry smiled, pleased to note the change as Neville hummed a tune that sounded like one of Luna's. He turned and almost ran into Draco, who was watching Neville with a contemplative look. Draco shook himself, glanced at Harry and turned back into the common room.

"Blaise," He called gesturing to the plant in his hand, "Look what Longbottom has found us, a parseltongue reactive plant."

Harry laughed at Blaise's excitement, "Really? Now _that's_ intriguing." He removed his feet from the table they had been propped up on and leaned forward as Draco placed the plant on the table, shoving at Theo with a smirk so there was room for Harry.

Theo scowled, closed the charms textbook he had been reading and moved to the end of the couch to watch.

"Show him Potter."

Blaise laughed, "Nice, Draco." He turned to Harry, "Kindly reveal to us your little find."

Harry snorted at Blaise's antics and turned to the plant, saying, "I don't know how much more I'll get out of it, it's already changed colour several times and grown. I'm running out of things to say." To the plant he murmured, "So if I can talk to you, can you talk at all?"

The plant didn't say anything, but it did swell in size again.

Blaise stared at it thoughtfully. "That's odd. Are their any other sort of plants that react like this?"

Harry frowned, "To parseltongue? I don't know. Some of the plants in Neville's Greenhouse respond similar to words spoken in english, although not as quickly."

"Hmmm." Blaise murmured, deep brown eyes alight with curiosity. "Pass me some parchment won't you Theo."

Theo rolled his eyes but obliged. Blaise smirked at him and began jotting down notes, occasionally asking Harry to say something specific, and then ordering Draco to repeat the same thing in english. He compared Draco's touch to the plant, to Harry's, the reactions it made and any other little bits and pieces he may have noticed.

Harry, in the meantime, looked around. He had been in the common room twice before - _"How did you get in here? What are you doing?"_ - the first time not being very well received and the second just resulted in a lot of irritated looks being thrown his way. This time most of the Slytherin's ignored him in favour of exchanging insults - _must be a Slytherin thing_ - or staring intently at pages of books they were reading. Harry snickered. It wasn't all that bad in here. The students did virtually the same things everyone else in his common room did except they weren't as open about their emotions.

"Harry," Blaise said suddenly, breaking him out of his reverie.

Harry looked up, green eyes blinking, "Hn?"

"Could try saying a spell in parseltonge?" Blaise asked, his tone curious. "Something simple, like Lumos."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "Uh, sure." He pulled out his wand - _mine, my wand_ - and murmured, "Lumos."

Light exploded forward, the force of it throwing Harry back into the couch and toppling it over along with Blaise and Theo.

"Stop!" Harry shouted in parseltongue as he wand arm jerked up from the fall and the streaming light hit the roof of the common room, sending a crack splitting along it's surface.

The light vanished and there was silence.

Blaise coughed and rolled himself to the side. Harry was shoved to the side by Theo as the scowling boy tried to stand. Harry himself shook his head and stood, checking to see what happened to Draco. The blonde boy had managed to throw up a red shield, the edges of which were fractured and splintering. Draco's wide blue/grey eyes stared at Harry in bewilderment.

"Bloody Salazar Potter! Don't point that thing directly at me here! I thought we were _best friends_?" The boy exploded suddenly.

Blaise burst out laughing. "Well, it worked didn't it? Just not the way we expected."

Theo rolled his eyes, "Next time do your experiments outside." The surly boy grumbled, the corner of his lips quirking upward ever so slightly, "You ruined my charms book." He held up the book which was now torn to pieces.

Blaise sniggered and glanced up. "Damn Harry, you sure have one formidable Lumos." He whistled, "Look at that crack!"

All the Slytherin's in the common room were now looking up at the ceiling where a long line ran along it's length.

"Sure that was a Lumos?" Someone muttered.

"I didn't say anything else, I'm sure of it." Harry responded his tone awed, "I did _that_?"

Blaise chuckled again, "Yeah, just imagine what you could do with a reducto."

"Now you're _definitely_ practising that outside." Someone said sharply causing several people to chuckle.

The portrait door opened and in stormed Severus. "What in the world just happened in here? The entire school just shook!"

Blaise perked up at that, "Really? The whole school, excellent!"

"No, Zabini, that is _not_ excellent. What, pray tell, were you all _doing_?" He scowled, glaring around at the twenty odd students in the room, all of whom were covered in dust from the crack in the ceiling and standing.

Blaise smiled innocently, "We were just practicing 'Lumos', Sir."

Severus raised an eyebrow and his eyes landed on Harry. "Potter, why am I not surprised. Why are you in the Slytherin common room?"

Harry blinked, hand reaching up to scratch at the back of his head, "It's like Blaise said, Sir, I just cast Lumos." He paused for a moment and added sheepishly, "In parseltongue."

"Parseltongue?" Severus asked sceptically, "You did this with a light spell cast in Snake Tongue?"

Harry shrugged and nodded.

Blaise chuckled, "Yup, that's Harry alright, he doesn't do things by halves."

A ripple of dry laughter went about the room, and Harry grinned sheepishly. "Hey, at least I got most of you smiling."

Draco rolled his eyes, "You are impossible Potter."

Severus lifted his dark eyes up to the ceiling in a put upon way before returning them to Harry in a contemplative way, "When I come back, this mess better be cleaned up." He paused for a minute, eyes flickering over to a broadly grinning Blaise, "And practice _outside_ from now on."

"That's what I said." Theo grumbled.

Severus glanced around at them all, his sardonic expression never wavering, before returning his gaze to Harry, who's lips were turned up ever so slightly at the edges. "And you, Potter-"

"Just Harry." Harry interrupted.

Severus closed his eyes and clenched his teeth in a way that Harry had to stifle his chuckle, "You had better be prepared for the consequence of your actions."

Harry blinked at the tone of the Potion's Master's voice and his amused expression cleared. Harry turned his head ever so slightly, making note of who was in the common room before he answered the usually stoic professor.

"I'm not particularly keen on my peace being broken, but I am quite prepared to make sure my friends have the choice to do whatever they wish." Harry answered, his tone just as serious.

An intake of breath went around the room as Severus regarded Harry. "Very well..._ Harry_." Then he turned, pausing when a portrait fell off the far wall, more dust filtering down from the cracked roof, "If you need assistance..." Then he was gone.

Harry blinked several times, staring after the professor in surprise as Blaise grinned and threw an arm around Harry's shoulders,

"I _knew_ you'd help us." Blaise grinned, throwing an 'I-told-you-so' look at Theo and Draco.

Harry looked at the dark skinned boy and laughed.

"Harry?"

Most of the Slytherin's glanced at Neville warily, the interruption breaking them from their surprise of Harry's statement, before glancing about and starting to clean up their things, cleaning spells and scourgify's being cast.

"Neville!" Harry exclaimed, "Did you find anything?"

Neville nodded, blinking owlishly as he cautiously stepped into the damaged room. "What happened in here?"

"Potter happened, that's what." Theo grumbled, tipping over a broken chair with his boot.

"Harry did all this?" Neville said in surprise.

Blaise chuckled, "Yeah, who knew his Lumos was so powerful?"

Neville gaped.

"Close your mouth Longbottom and tell us what you found." Draco snapped, picking up his bag and scowling at the singed edges of the strap.

Neville glanced at the floor, dodging the chunks of fallen ceiling, eyes darting up worriedly for a moment as he made his way over to them averting his eyes from annoyed or scowling Slytherin's - most of whom were muttering about invasions of privacy and idiot Hufflepuff's.

"I found a book on parseltongue's, and they have all these different chapter's on things, like plants and magic and even potions." Draco's gaze snapped up, dropping the cushion he had just picked up onto the couch. "I've already found the plant we've got, apparently it's very rare, but if you use it in this potion in chapter three-"

"Wait, wait, wait." Draco cut Neville off, "Where did you find this book on parselmouth's?"

Neville looked surprised. "In the library, I was looking at the Herbology books in the restricted section-"

"Restricted section?" Blaise and Draco said at the same time.

Harry sniggered.

"How did _you_ get into the restricted section?" Theo asked sceptically.

Neville blinked and grinned a little, "Oh, I have a pass from Professor Sprout."

"He's one of Pomona's favourite's, and she get's him to look stuff up for her all the time." Harry explained.

Neville nodded, "Yeah, some of it's in the restricted section though, so she gave me an all-access card."

Draco tried to wipe the impressed expression off his face, "Ok, so this potion with the plant?" He gestured to the plant, who they noticed had grown exceptionally, "Hey, how'd it get that big?"

Neville stepped forward and examined the plant, "You said you got Harry to use a spell in parseltongue right?"

Blaise nodded, grinning broadly.

Neville pulled a large book out of his bag and dumped it on the table, opening it up to a previously marked page and running his fingers down the page. "Right, this plant reacts strongly to parselmouths. Just being in the presence of one is enough to make it healthy. When spoken to, or near the influence of parselmagic they seem to flourish." Neville paused, "Hmm, parselmagic seems to indicate something different than just speaking spells in parseltongue."

Harry grinned at the sight before him. Draco and Blaise had each moved to either side of Neville, both leaning down to read the book too, heads bent together as they inspected the plant's properties and the idea of parselmagic. Neville -_ he's so focussed he hasn't even noticed Draco and Blaise_ - flipped the pages through to another chapter.

"Here it is." Neville murmured, pointing at the page. "It's called _Vinculum Deprehensio_, Bond Detection. Look here," Neville pointed to a section halfway down the page, "_'detects all bonds to a person either done by intentional or unintentional magic, as well as the receiver on the other end of the bond. Bond's show up in colours to indicate influence on the bonded.' _I had an idea about this," Neville looked up, not at all startled to see Blaise and Draco so close, his light brown eyes caught Draco's steel blue ones, "but we'd have to talk about it to Snape first. See this one after it," He pointed to the next page drawing Blaise and Draco's attention back to the book, even Theo leaned over from the end of the table to look, "This one is _Vinculum Effrego_, it severe's the bonds and can hide the person from whoever they were previously bonded to."

Draco stood and crossed his arms. "What are you getting at?"

But Harry was suddenly grinning, "Neville, that's genius! Come on, let's find Severus!" He darted forward, grabbing Neville's arm to drag him out of the room.

"Wait, Harry the book!" Neville said, turning back toward the table.

Blaise already had the book, a finger marking the page they had been looking at, grinning at Neville and Harry, "If you're onto what I think you are, I'm coming."

Theo glanced between them a frown marring his features. "Longbottom." He said warningly, "Are you sure about this?"

Neville blinked, looking a little uncertain now, "I-"

"Of course he is, he's the plant genius isn't he? Come on Theo, let's go hear Neville's plan. Draco, stop looking so surely, that's Theo's job." Blaise grinned and paused at the couch he, Theo and Harry had been sitting on, still on it's side, with a shrug and a flick of his wand - _where did that come from?_ - the couch was clean of dust and up the right way again.

"You're forgetting the massive crack in the ceiling." Theo said dryly.

Harry blinked, grinned and lifted his wand, "Brace yourselves," Some of the Slytherin's ducked, shooting underneath the tables, "Reparo!"

The ceiling groaned and several people looked worried for a moment before the dust and broken bits of fallen ceiling all began shooting back up to the ceiling, the crack sealing itself back together.

"That is so cool." Harry said in wonder.

Draco rolled his eyes, brushing off his now clean robes. "Yes, yes, Scar-head, wonderful. Let's go see what this plan of Longbottom's entails."

The five boy's left the Slytherin Common room - Draco having gotten the plant - and approached the Potion Master's office. Harry and Neville both looked at the three Slytherin's. Blaise smirked and gestured to the door.

"Your idea, Longbottom." Draco said, without scorn yet not exactly encouraging.

Neville took a deep breath, stepped forward and knocked.

The door was pulled open, Severus had his usual scowl on his face, mouth open to - no doubt - make a scathing remark. He paused when he took in the five boys.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice sounded as if he was expecting another disaster to have occurred.

"I have an idea." Neville said, once again sounding more confident than he looked -_ We'll have to work on that, oh well, he'll learn_ - as he paused, unsure how to go on.

Severus raised an eyebrow, "And that is?" He drawled, tone quite similar to Draco's -_ Wonder if that's where Draco learned it_ - usual mocking tone.

Neville flushed, turning to get the plant off Draco. "I think I know how to protect some of the Slytherin's from their parents."

Harry chuckled - _right to the point_ - at Severus's startled expression.

"What are you talking about?" Severus snapped.

"How about we go inside, Sir?" Blaise asked, his face stretched into his usual confident smirk, "We wouldn't want the wrong people to overhear us, would we?"

Severus raised both eyebrow's but stepped aside all the same.

The five boy's entered the room and Neville placed the plant on Severus's desk and gestured for Blaise to lay the book down. "I found this plant by accident, and Harry had the idea of talking to it in parseltongue because it looked like a snake. It reacted quite well to parseltongue so we took to Malfoy and Zabini because I know they are researching parselmouth's at the moment. While they were experimenting with the plant, I found this book." Neville was talking quite fast, however as he continued to tell his story with interruption or any derision from Severus, he grew more confident. "I took a quick look through it, trying to find the plant, and I did. From the information on that page it made reference to several potions in which it's properties can be used. Two of them caught my eye. These." He pointed to the page and Severus leaned forward to read the potion.

When the Potion's Master straightened in surprise Neville smiled, "You can see the implications then?"

"Implications?" Severus asked swiftly, "You came up with this idea on your own?" He asked, studying Neville intently.

Neville hesitated, but nodded, "I thought it could help. First I actually thought of you, you know, for the order. I wasn't sure if it would be helpful or not. But then I remembered hearing Parkinson and Malfoy arguing over what his dad was going to do when he found out that he was friend's with Harry."

Draco winced, his jaw clenching. "Fantastic. You heard that?"

Neville flushed again, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you were yelling quite loudly."

Blaise laughed, "Don't worry, Draco isn't all that subtle on the best of days."

Draco punched him, Harry ignored them in favour of watching Severus. The cold man was reading the two potions contemplatively, murmuring things under his breath.

"This may actually work, Longbottom." Severus looked up at the startled boy, his expression begrudgingly impressed. "You know how to access the plants these require?"

Neville blinked several times, pointing to himself. "M-Me?"

"It is your plan, is it not?"

Neville nodded, "Sure but-"

"Then I assume you will want a part in the process."

"I- Well I guess-"

"Excellent, then you will be able to access the plant base material for this potion?" Severus's tone was slightly amused, however, gave the indication that he would not take a negative response.

"I, er, if I had a list?" Neville sounded so unsure that Harry had to laugh.

That drew Severus's attention to himself. "And you, Potter-"

"What happened to just Harry?" Harry grumbled, a grin spread across his face.

"Your abilities will be required throughout this potion, so you best make yourself available for the next three weeks." Severus ordered.

Harry bobbed his head, "Of course, anything for you Sir." He quipped, to the amusement of Blaise and Draco.

Severus rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath, "Draco, you and Theodore will do the brewing."

Draco and Theo both nodded, exchanging a small grin.

"Blaise..." Severus regarded the dark skinned, eccentric boy warily, "I don't want any news of this getting out."

Blaise laughed roguishly, hands rubbing together. "Detention it is. I'll get right on it Professor."

Harry laughed, "How are you going to get all five of us in detention?"

"Four." Blaise corrected.

Harry frowned, glancing about, "There are five of us."

Blaise smirked, "Sev- er... The Professor has already told you to make yourself available, I only have to get four of us in trouble." He turned his gaze to Neville, "Don't worry, it won't be too bad."

Neville shuddered, "That's what Fred and George always say."

Harry laughed.

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**A/N I know I said the next one would have Sirius in it... I lied. I decided I wanted to write this one after all. The next one is coming, promise, it's already half-way finished. And now I don't know what to do because this thing is actually starting to get a plot beyond Harry being obliviated - urgh...that's just effort...**

**Hehe, I suppose I'll have to keep going then. And, before any of you ask, I know it must be annoying that these are being done with one-shots, but I only thought there'd be four - maybe five at most - so I did it like this, and now I'm not going to change it cause I'd have to go back and change all the others - then I'd lose all my awesome reviews and that would make me sad. So they're staying like this, sorry!**

**Thanks again to DeliaDee for that review! Mikee, again, thanks - Snape wasn't exactly lurking... but he did show up :P**


	7. A Sirius Confrontation

**A Sirius Confrontation.**

**By Whitelonewolf**

**Summery: Sequel to Greenhouse. Sirius comes to Hogwarts after learning of Harry's obliviate to yell at Dumbledore for not telling him. He stumbles across Harry before he gets there.**

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"Come down to the lake with me." Harry demanded, a small smile on his face as he and Draco walked away from 'detention' with Severus.

Draco groaned, "Scar-head, I'm exhausted, do have any idea how much concentration it takes to brew that damnable potion? A lot. More than you could ever give."

Harry knew that Draco was eager to test the potion, eager to be protected from both his father and the 'Dark Lord', and he was quite happy to work on the potion to achieve that goal but that didn't stop him from complaining about it for all he was worth.

"Exactly, the lake is relaxing, come _on_ Draco, it's a nice day, the sun is out, the breeze is cool, let's get some fresh air." Harry knew he could break Draco's resolve today, if only for the fact that the blonde Slytherin was really exhausted.

Draco scowled at him. "Fine." He grumbled.

"Yes!" Harry grinned.

Draco rolled his eyes and snapped, "Don't get all excitable, this is a one time thing."

"Ok." Harry grinned, glancing at Draco out of the corner of his eye.

Draco's scowl increased. "Don't give me that look, like you think I don't mean it."

Harry laughed and shrugged, "Well I don't."

Draco glared, "I could go back to my common room right now, Merlin knows it'd be easier."

Harry rolled his eyes with a small smile. "But you won't." He said confidently.

Draco's shoulder's sag. "I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Talk like you know exactly what I'm thinking, or going to do." Draco complained, shifting his bag around.

Harry laughed again, "I don't know what you're thinking."

They reached the Entrance Hall and Harry led them out onto the grounds. He smiled when he saw the familiar bob of blonde hair by the water.

"Luna's there." He said softly, the smile in his voice.

Draco huffed, "Where's Longbottom?"

"In the Greenhouse looking for more of those ingredients you keep demanding." Harry told him.

Draco rolled his eyes. "He get's to escape." He muttered under his breath.

Harry laughed, dropping his own bag by the tree. "Hey Luna!" He called, waving his arm at the Ravenclaw who smiled and gave a little wave in return.

Draco threw his own bag down and fell into the grass, arms spread wide by his head, blue/grey eyes staring up at the sky. Harry leaned over the boy's head and grinned,

"Told you it's nice out here."

"Very good, Scar-head, now kindly remove your ugly head out of my view." Draco retorted dryly.

Harry laughed and lay a meter over.

Luna's humming voice reached them from the lake and Harry smiled.

Draco shifted, "The grass is itchy."

"I like it."

There was silence again but for Luna's voice.

"The sun's bright."

"So close your eyes."

"I have."

Harry chuckled, stretching his arms to rest interlinked behind his head.

"That cloud over there looks like your head."

"That one over there looks like Blaise's pillow."

"I'm not even going to ask how you know that."

"And that one there look's like that broken Knight piece you keep on your bedside table."

"Now your getting creepy."

"And that one-"

"Potter, shut up."

"Ok."

Draco sighed. Harry closed his eyes and grinned. Silence returned. Harry frowned, where had Luna gone.

"Hey Potter?"

"Yeah?"

"Where are you going for the summer?"

Harry opened his eyes, bright green eyes staring up at the half-fluffy clouds in the sky overhead. "I don't know." He admitted.

"What about your relatives place?" Draco asked and Harry knew without looking that the other boy was frowning.

Harry shrugged even though he knew Draco wasn't watching. "Dunno. No one's said anything."

Draco scoffed. "Typical."

Harry chuckled and the silence returned.

"Where are you going to stay?" Harry asked curiously, still watching the clouds.

"With Severus." Draco said it as if it should have been obvious which, in hindsight, it probably should have been since Severus _was_ Draco's godfather.

"Blaise and Theo?"

Draco groaned, "Don't remind me, I have to spend and entire summer with Zabini."

Harry sniggered, stretching out his legs and shuffling about in the grass a little.

"Potter, how can anyone relax with you moving about all over the place over there?" Draco grumbled.

"Sorry, I was-" Harry broke off with a yelp as a large dark head blocked his view.

He scrambled up and backwards before realising with a laugh that it was a large black dog. Draco had sat upright, startled, and was now glaring at him.

"Don't _do_ that!" He hissed, "You... Hey, isn't that-?"

Harry glanced back at the dog that Draco was now frowning at. "Isn't it what?" He raised an eyebrow at Draco, "Look's like a Grim don't you think?"

Draco shuddered and shoved Harry, "It is not."

Harry laughed, "Superstiti-Whoa!" Harry jerked back and stared in wide eyed surprise as the dog - _Or he thought it was a dog?_ - glanced about before turning into a man.

"It is him!" Draco exclaimed after overcoming his shock.

"How did you _do_ that?" Harry exclaimed, eyes lit up in curiosity, the way they did whenever he encountered magic that amazed him.

The man chuckled, "I'm an animagus."

"Animagus? What's an Animagus?" He turned to Draco, "Why haven't you told me about Animagus's?"

The man laughed again, sounding quite like a bark, as the questions spilled from Harry's mouth. Draco just scowled.

"An animagus is someone who can turn into an animal. As you saw, my form is a large dog." The man explained.

"So, does that mean you can only transform into one animal?" Harry asked, leaning forward and crossing his legs.

Draco rolled his eyes and laid back down, tucking his arms back under his head.

"Yeah. So... Harry?" The man asked.

Harry tilted his head, nodding, "Yes, just Harry. Who are you... Actually, you look familiar."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Draco reopen his eyes and look at him curiously. The man himself laughed.

"Do I? Well I suppose that's a good thing-"

"Oh!" Harry exclaimed suddenly, "I know where I've seen you before, in my photo Album, you're in the pictures... You, you aren't... I mean..." Harry trailed off and blushed, noticing that Draco seemed amused by this.

"I'm not what?" The man asked, clearly amused as well.

Harry blushed again, "Who are you?"

"Sirius Black." The man answered.

Harry blinked, having no idea at all who the man was, "Oh."

Draco sat up, "Who did you think he was, Potter?"

Harry blushed again and shook his head. "No one."

"Oh no you don't, you've been driving me mad with your annoying little habits ever since you decided we needed to be friends." He poked Harry in the chest. "Who did you think Black was?"

Harry felt his face go beat red - _I'm going to get laughed a_t - as he answered, "I thought he might have been my father."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter, "I wish I was Harry, believe me." The man chuckled. "But I am your godfather, if that helps."

Harry perked up at that, shoving a laughing Draco back, "Oh? Cool, no one told me I have a Godfather."

Sirius frowned and Draco stopped laughing.

"Honestly Potter, didn't Dumbledore tell you _anything_?" Draco demanded.

Harry thought about it, eyes casting up toward the sky - _He had the sadness... _- as he tried to recall the conversations he'd had with Albus. "Yes, we talked about magic... But not where I'm staying."

Draco's expression became stormy. "He told you- I'll be talking to Severus about this." He mumbled the last bit quietly, anger etched into his features, but Harry heard him all the same.

"Why are you angry?" Harry asked, curiously.

"He should be angry, that old fool hasn't been telling anybody things of importance lately." Sirius growled out. "I only heard about you being obliviated by accident from the Weasley twins, who were buying a shop in Diagon Alley when me and Remus stumbled across them."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Dumbledore didn't Owl you?"

Sirius shook his head, "No. That's why I'm here, except I spotted that blonde over there, and then saw you two."

Draco huffed. "Typical Dumbledore."

Sirius rolled his eyes in agreement. Harry glanced between the two of them and laughed.

"You two are kind of similar." He said to the inquiring looks.

Sirius and Draco exchanged disbelieving glances. Then Sirius's gaze became thoughtful.

"Well, we are cousins."

Draco looked startled, "What?"

Sirius nodded, a mischievous grin working onto his sallow face. "Yes, your mother was a Black, she's my cousin."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Fantastic. You're just as bad as Potter."

Sirius glanced between them. "Yes. I was wondering about that. I heard the twins say something about you two being friends and at first I didn't believe it. But I see now that it's true."

Harry shrugged. "Draco wasn't sad."

"Wasn't sad?" Sirius questioned.

Harry shrugged, "It doesn't matter anymore, besides, Draco is good company."

Sirius laughed, "That's a far cry from what you used to tell me about him."

"I am sitting right here." Draco grumbled.

Harry glanced at Draco before looking back over at Sirius, his expression unreadable. "Do you mind?"

Sirius looked between them for a moment. "He doesn't seem to be hurting you. And I know well enough that the apple falls further from the tree than most people expect it too."

Draco smirked briefly. "At least it's one less person to complain about it. Weasley still harps on about not trusting me." His smirk had turned into a scowl.

Harry grinned, "Draco likes to complain a lot," That earned him a punch in the shoulder, "So do I live with you then?"

Sirius laughed at Harry's eager tone. "If only. I'm afraid not at the moment. I'm on the run from the ministry."

Harry cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Draco, despite his scowl, explained. "He was set up, and so the ministry believes he was the one responsible for the murder of your parents."

Harry's head snapped back to look at him. "Murder?" He frowned. "Yeah, that's what it said in those books... Voldemort..." Harry sighed. "Well, that's stupid, and why haven't I said that it wasn't you then?"

Sirius laughed, "Because they want evidence, Harry."

Harry frowned. "I read about something called a pensive. Why didn't we use that?"

"Pensives can be tampered with and so are not allowed in a Court as evidence." Draco said immediately his face once again impassive, "Besides, the only other person besides Black whose memories could be used would have been yours... And they're gone."

Sirius nodded in agreement, anger and sorrow flickering across his face briefly. "Oh well. I've survived so far."

Draco snorted, "What? For a year?"

Harry blinked, "A year? Where were you before that?"

Sirius shuddered another emotion flickering across his face that Harry was surprised to realise was fear. "Azkaban. It's a wizard prison."

Draco winced in sympathy. "It's not a pleasant place."

Harry nodded. "Yes, Luna was talking about it. They have Dementors?"

Both Draco and Sirius shuddered.

"Ok, so the ministry - which apparently everyone thinks are idiots - are after you and we can't do anything about it?" Harry asked, "Isn't there _something_?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "Aside from a retrial with veritism?"

Harry sat up, "That truth serum? That will work!"

Sirius shook his head at Harry's expression and Draco's expression became exasperated, "That was _sarcasm_, Scar-head."

Harry scowled, flicking at the grass stems near his fingers. "Well there has to be _something_."

They were silent for a moment and Harry noted Luna trotting over to them from the lake.

"Hullo Mr. Black." She said, startling the man who jumped and looked around worriedly. "You needn't fret about me, I already know of your innocence. I just came to tell Harry that I'm off to visit Neville." She smiled at Harry, who grinned back and nodded.

"Sure, I catch up with you later, yeah?"

Luna returned the nod, as she walked away Draco called,

"Make sure he's not slaking!"

Harry could make out Luna's soft tinkling laugh over his own laughter. Draco smirked at the raven-haired boy knowing that Luna would indeed pass on the message and that Neville would complain when they got back to the potions room the next day for 'detention'.

"There is something we can do." Draco said suddenly, looking uncertain and yet contemplative.

Harry raised his eyebrows, noting that Sirius had looked hopeful for a moment. "What?"

Draco shifted, uncertainty almost taking over. "I've seen Pettigrew alive."

Harry's head tilted to the left of it's own accord, confusion pulling his brows together. Sirius sucked in a sharp angry breath, but Draco just rolled his eyes,

"The man who set Black up, Scar-head." The blonde sneered, uncertainty vanishing under the guise of contempt.

Harry grinned, knowing Draco well enough by know to see past the mask. Sirius just frowned at him, as if he was about to object but uncertain as to why Harry was grinning.

"Oh. So, what does that mean?"

Draco looked at him as if he was an idiot again. "If I went to the Ministry with this information, it would bring new evidence to light and there would _have_ to be a re-investigation of the events, perhaps even a proper trial since he never actually received one."

Harry was thrilled, feeling the smile that spread across his face as he looked at a dumbfounded Sirius excitedly, "That's great!"

"Y-You'd... You'd actually do that?" Sirius sounded shocked and disbelieving, "For me?"

Draco shrugged. "We are cousin's, are we not?"

Sirius blinked, "I have a lot of cousin's - some of which wish me dead."

Draco rolled his eyes and said, "Well then, your Harry's Godfather."

Harry smirked. "Ha, told you you're soft."

Draco scowled and went to punch him, causing the raven-haired boy to laugh and duck away.

Sirius seemed to be incapable of speech.

Draco turned to look at the main with an expectant expression. "Well?"

"I... I don't know what to say." Sirius confessed.

Draco raised his eyebrows in all his pureblood scorn and drawled, "A thank you would be a nice start."

"I- Thank you!" Sirius said fervently before laughing, "Thanks!" The man looked alive, his sky blue eyes lit up in happiness, his voice filled with shock, disbelief and hope.

Draco snorted in derision - _he's embarrassed really_ - and said snidely, "And so you should be, that I'd be willing to do this for you despite the consequences from my father, is a once in a life time offer."

Sirius was overjoyed, and he sprang to his feet, "This calls for something really special... Have either of you seen a flying motorbike?"

Harry sat straight, "Motorbike?"

"_Flying_ motorbike?" Draco asked curiously, incredulously.

Sirius nodded, a wild grin taking over his features, "Come on, Hagrid should still have it."

Harry jumped to his feet, "Tell me how it works?"

Draco shook his head as he stood and followed the two chattering dark-haired men. Harry's face was lit with curiosity, firing off question after question as he sought to learn more about the wonder of magic. Sirius himself was gesturing wildly with his hand. Draco rolled his eyes at the Gryffindorish behaviour.

"I'll teach you both how to ride it! If you want, you can even have it."

"You're going to give Potter your motorbike?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Both of you, yeah."

Draco blinked several times in surprise before he crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow and asked scornfully, "You expect _me_ to share with _Scar-head_?"

Sirius seemed to consider this, before his face split into a grin. "Well, I suppose it would be considered irresponsible if I gave both of you a flying motorbike."

Harry almost deflated when Sirius said that, before he caught the glint in Sirius's eyes that he had seen in Fred and George's. He grinned, eyes watching the man curiously, wondering what his plan was.

Draco just raised his eyebrows and waited.

"But... If I were to buy both of you normal bikes, that couldn't be as bad could it? Not if I gave you both instruction." Sirius said contemplatively. "I would, of course, have to teach all about bikes and how to fix them magically so you know what to do in case of a breakdown."

Draco began to smirk, "You mean for us to make them fly ourselves?"

Sirius looked affronted, "Who me? I'd never do such a reckless thing."

Harry laughed, "You sound like Fred and George when they're trying to avoid Hermione scolding them."

Sirius grinned and him and ruffled his hair, "Of course, I am a Marauder after all. Fred and George shall be my protégées."

Draco crossed his arms again. "What's that make us?"

"Severus's Protégées." Harry laughed, then laughed even more at the look on Sirius's face.

"_Severus_?" The man exclaimed, "That old bat?"

Draco scowled, "Hey, watch what you say about my godfather."

Harry grinned, "He's not that bad. He'd probably find you irritating though."

Draco snorted, "That's an understatement." He shoved his hands into his robe pockets. "He can barely tolerate _you_. Merlin, _I_ can barely tolerate you."

Harry just laughed, leaned over to Sirius and mock-whispered, "Slytherin's just hide their affection under snide insults and scathing reprimands."

Draco punched him again and Sirius chuckled, despite his surprise.

"They really are a bunch of softies, although, I think you'll get along with Blaise."

Draco shuddered, "Ugh, no, the two of you getting along is scary enough, Black is not joining that little circle."

They reached Hagrid's hut, Harry and Draco bickering slightly as Sirius knocked on the door and inquired about his bike. Hagrid was more than happy to return Sirius's bike _- "Thanks fer lendin' it ter me Sirius, yer a good lad."_ - who then pushed it back over toward the lake with the boys, beginning to explain the mechanisms of the bike to both boys.

Sirius never actually got around to telling Albus off, Harry noted later that day as he was thinking about his third hobby - _After Quidditch and the Potion of course_ - to work on in his spare - or sometimes class - time. But then, Sirius had left in a rather cheerful mood, and Harry had gotten the impression that the man oftentimes wasn't all that cheerful.

Neville told him later - after Harry had related the days events - that Harry had that affect on people - _"When you're happy, you make people around you happy."_ - to which Harry had laughed and told him that that was silly, maybe people just liked being happy? Neville just shook his head and went back to his plants. Harry shrugged and went back to reading about Muggle Motorbikes; Draco was investigating flying spells.

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**A/N Well here it is, the next instalment, hope it met the standards - although I'm not particularly satisfied with it - but I'm tired and wanted to get it posted. Ever present thanks again to Mikee, DeliaDee, Misses Prongs, Darkus, Icylone, Alimento, farwalker, poisinrose, alice22 and MMe. Pince for the wonderful reviews! You guys keep me inspired.**

**Sorry there was no parseltongue magic in this one - there _may_ be some in the next one. Hopefully none of you will be too disappointed but I won't be writing the re-trail, can't be bothered, but the next instalment is the aftermath... One should really consider the wisdom in naming Sirius a guardian of any child -grins evilly-.**

**"Tattoo's and Pub Parlours"**


	8. Tattoos and Pub Parlours

**Tattoos and Pub Parlors.**

**By Whitelonewolf**

**Summery: Sequel to A Sirius Confrontation. In which we learn that Sirius should never be put in charge of children. Enough said.**

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The door to the potions room exploded open. Draco, Theo and Severus reacted immediately, wands out and shielding the two simmering potions rather than themselves.

"I'm free!" Came the delighted, disbelieving, almost hysterical voice of one Sirius Black.

Draco and Harry's letter had certainly _convinced_ the Ministry to investigate the Sirius Black case a little better than they had previously. Draco - after further contact from the Minister - had agreed that if they could get Sirius to come forward, then he would testify under veritism. Sirius went forward, and a trial was held.

The public was appalled that such a huge mistake had been made, and Fudge - _"Fudge? Is he into confectionary or something?" "No, Potter, he's the Minister."_ - had been removed from office. Sirius had been in the remainder of the trial earlier that morning while Severus, Blaise, Draco, Harry, Theo and Neville all worked on the two bond potions to be finished as quickly as possible.

With Draco's active defiance against his father in playing witness at Sirius's trial they had become pressed for time to get Draco - _and most other Slytherins_ - disbonded from their parents and hidden from them.

As it was, both potions had about half an hour left until it was ready, after which Severus would then administer both to whoever wished to take it. Although it would not protect the children fully if they were confronted, it would at least provide minimal shielding and hide their whereabouts so they could not be found by magical means.

However, Sirius breaking into their potion room - _"Who in the name of Salazar told him which room we are in?"_ - in a very excitable state did nothing to help the frayed nerves of Severus, Draco, Theo and Neville. Harry and Blaise, cheerful and unperturbed as ever, just laughed at his appearance in the lab.

"I think it best that you come back in half an hour Sirius, or Sev- er the Professor here might be inclined to disembowel you." Harry chuckled, quickly correcting himself at a glare from the Potions Master.

"Indeed. I can only handle so many imbeciles. Get lost Black, come back later. Or better yet, find Potter in the Great Hall after I've gotten rid of him." Severus scowled.

Sirius, in far to good a mood to be cowed or angry, merely saluted the testy Potions Master and left the room, chanting to himself, "I'm free! I'm free! I'm free!"

Draco grumbled and relaxed his protective stance in front of the cauldron that was his and Theo's. "He better get me that motorbike after this." He muttered darkly.

Harry laughed as he and Blaise returned to preparing the vials. Both potions needed to be bottled and distributed almost immediately. Blaise and Neville were in charge of charming all the vials so the potion would not become invalid, while Harry was splitting his attention between the occasional mutter in parseltongue and helping Blaise and Neville.

Half an hour later and they were ready to test both potions. Severus himself was going to be the one to take the first drink. Both potions contents had been distributed evenly amongst the set up vials and Harry was now a constant stream of parseltongue.

He watched eagerly though when Severus took the first potion -_ a pretty light blue, almost white_ - and down it. The man went still and then clutched his arm, jaw clenched in pain. All five boys watched worriedly for a moment before Severus relaxed and gazed at his arm.

"Try getting rid of it." Harry suggested, "Shouldn't that tell us if it worked?"

Severus blinked, rolled up his left sleeve - wincing slightly at the sight of the mark - pointed his wand at it and muttered a quite spell. The Dark Mark vanished.

Astonishment, joy, disbelief, relief all flashed across the Potions Master's face before his stoic expression fell easily onto his features. He picked up the second potion -_ this one was a soft violet _- and downed it quickly. He glowed briefly and then returned to normal.

Blaise cheered, startling everyone and causing Harry to laugh. "We did it!" He exclaimed, "Me next!" And without waiting he grabbed the nearest two vials and swallowed the first potion, careful not to follow to quickly with the second - _The potion had been specific about that_ - and he too went through the same reactions as Severus.

Draco and Theo quickly followed. The potion had required an identification of the bonds wished to be broken, but Severus had been able to tweak it so that it cut off any and all bonds connecting back to Voldemort and any of his followers. Releasing children from the hold of their parents.

The success of the potion left them all relieved, yet also no longer in need of each other's constant company. But the closeness of the work had created a bond between them all, and Severus surveyed the group of boys with what Neville had eventually come to know as fondness - o_r as close to it as you'll see him express_ - before clearing his throat and dismissing them - _"Before that irritating mutt returns."_ - so he could distribute the potion to other students who may need it.

Harry nodded at the professor - a recording of the needed phrases of parseltongue playing in the background - as he followed the other four boys out of the classroom.

"Now lets go find Sirius!" Harry grinned as he raced passed them, "He owes me a motorbike!"

Draco, looking more relaxed than Harry had ever seen him_ - his father must have been a huge worry to him_ - grinned widely and followed, "You're soon going to be jealous of me Zabini!"

Blaise laughed, "Since when did I become Zabini again?" He called after them.

Theo rolled his eyes, although he too was grinning ever so slightly.

They ran into Sirius at the top of the stairs to the dungeons.

"Harry!" The man exclaimed, embracing the ever cheerful Hufflepuff, "I'm free!"

Harry laughed, "So I've heard!"

"Come on, this calls for celebration!" Sirius said excitedly, "Bring your friends, hell, bring _Snape_!"

Harry just laughed again and followed as Sirius led them up to an unused classroom.

In hindsight, it was probably a very bad idea to let Sirius throw a party in Hogwarts. Severus probably _should_ have gone, just to make sure the dog animagus didn't do anything foolish. As it was, no body checked on Sirius until later in the night near to curfew when Minerva, scolding Sirius as if he were only fifteen himself, sent him home and the rest of them off to bed.

Unbeknownst to her, Sirius had managed to slip in a few bottles of firewhiskey.

Harry giggled once they were a good distance away from the stern witch, "C'me on! We should..." He paused, swaying slightly as he Draco, Blaise, and Neville staggered along the hallway, Luna trailing along behind them with an amused smile.

She was the only sober one among them, and only because Theo had adamantly refused to let her touch the alcoholic drinks, saying that as a Lady a year younger than themselves he was obliged to make sure she didn't come to any harm, how he expected to do that while completely sloshed Harry had no idea.

"We should go to the pub!" Harry suddenly exclaimed.

Draco sniggered, "Didn't footpad... Padfoot say to meet him there anyway?"

"Where?" Harry asked, confused.

"The pub!" Blaise shouted in Harry's ear, making the boy wince and then laugh.

Neville giggled softly, "Don't you remember?"

"No." Harry admitted, smiling, "What am I rember-mem-remembering?"

The other four boys burst out laughing.

"How are we going to get to the pub?" Draco asked when they'd calmed down.

Blaise pointed at Harry, "Harry, deface-defeater of all that is eag-fev-evil, icon of all that is happy and fluffy-" Here Draco sniggered and Theo muttered "Fluffy?" Dubiously, ignoring them, Blaise continued, "He will find a way to get us out!"

"I will?" Harry asked, amazed at his own brilliance, "Cool! Ok, so we... We... We climb out of Sev's office window!"

"Yeah!" Blaise agreed instantly.

Draco giggled almost insanely, "Sev! Don't let him hear you say that!"

Harry would later find it amusing that Draco was worried about Severus hearing them call him 'Sev', but not about the prospect of climbing out Severus's office window.

"Wait!" Neville cried suddenly, brown eyes wide, "Init, uh, Isn't his office undergou-grow-ground?"

The other boys stopped, considering this briefly, then Draco whacked Harry over the head, "Yeah! What the plant-boy said!"

Harry blinked dazedly, "Plant's are boys?"

Blaise burst into giggles.

"I'm going to get a tattoo." Theo declared suddenly, face alight with this brilliant idea.

Harry's face lit up too, "Hey, that's a brill-brill- good idea!"

"What you going to ge-_ouch_!" Blaise exclaimed when Draco bashed him on the head shouting,

"Don't encage them!" Draco blinked staring at Theo for a moment before saying, "Encourage... That's what I meant."

Theo sniggered, hand out on the wall in order to keep him up right.

Blaise, rubbing his head, pouted, "I like it too."

"What do you like?" Neville asked curiously, hands outstretched as if he were balancing on a tightrope.

"Flying!" Blaise exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Harry shouted,

"Shhh!" Several of the others giggled.

Harry grinned sheepishly, "Sorry," He whispered, "Let's go flying!"

Neville looked a little uncertain, "I'm not good at flying."

"Oh! The bikes!" Draco said in a sudden strike of inspiration. "Let's take them!"

Harry blinked, "Did he leave them?"

"Who left what?" Theo asked, leaning close to Harry and staring.

Harry scratched his head, "Er..."

Draco had his wand out and was concentrating very hard on something. "Quiet!" He snapped, the sneer slightly ruined by the fact that he was less than sober. "I need contra-concensh-concentration."

Theo slapped a hand over each Harry and Blaise's mouths, Blaise in turn put on of his hands over Theo's mouth. Neville backed away before Harry could attack him too.

"Accio Motorbike!" Draco cried suddenly.

Nothing released Harry and Blaise, both of whom collapsed into fits of laughter against each other.

Theo, smiling, clapped a put out Draco on the shoulder, "Don't worry, we should probabably-um, _probably_ take Lady Luna home anyway."

Neville was eyeing Blaise and Harry worriedly, as if they might suddenly spring up and attack him, and edged into Draco. Both boys startled.

"Don't do that!" Draco snarled, his words - like all of them - slurred.

"Let's go!" Theo ordered, stomping his foot for good effect, glaring at the four other boys in irritation, "Lady Luna shouldn't have to put up with this!"

The other four boys glanced at each other, and then over at Luna who smiled distantly at them, hands behind her back.

"Oh, right." Harry said, "We are being so rude. What do you want to do?"

Luna blinked her big blue eyes and shook her head, red radishes swinging. "I think I'll go speak to Dobby about the lintweed eggs I keep finding." She smiled at each of them as she passed, shaking her head when Theo asked,

"Do you want us to eso-eco-accompany you?"

The five boys looked around at each other for a moment, unsure what to do now. Harry scratched his head again. He paused,

"Anyone else hear that?" He asked curiously, tilting his head as he listened.

The others stilled -_ or tried to_ - and listened too.

"Sounds big." Blaise said, turning to look.

"Whoa!" Neville flattened himself against a wall as two big motorbikes flew around the corner.

Draco whooped, "Ha! It did work!" He cried, proceeding to stick his tongue out at Blaise.

Harry grinned excitedly, "Let's go!"

"How are we all going to ride those?" Theo asked dubiously.

Harry paused, glanced about them for something he might be able to use. Spotting a bench not far away, Harry pulled out his wand and waved it at the bench, "I demand a Motorbike!"

The bench obeyed Harry's will.

The other four boys gaped.

"Wow!" Neville breathed as Blaise just grinned,

"See! Told you he'd find a way!"

Harry beamed at his own genius, finding other random objects and transforming them too. Theo crossed his arms and glared at the bike that was his.

"I'm not riding a vase." He said supremely, trying valiantly to keep from slurring.

Harry rolled his eyes with a smile and said, "Trade with me then."

Once the two boys had traded bikes, Harry got his and started it up. The motor roared to life, echoing down the hallway like a Lion had been set lose. The other four boys followed suit.

"Let's go!" Harry laughed, kicking the bike into first gear and speeding off down the hall.

Neville, eyes wild and uncertain at the same time, followed Harry diligently, the other three boys whooping in delight as they raced down the corridor's. Argus Filch came hurrying up the stairs from the Great Hall, and the five boys skidded to a stop, only to turn the bikes and race off up another corridor, laughing as they left the dumbfounded caretaker standing in the dark of the stairs.

Harry and Draco raced for the lead, taking random turns in an attempt to lose the other.

Neville - who had become even more confident while drunk - was right on their tail, eager not to lose his best friend in the race. Blaise and Theo took up the lead, neither wanting to be left behind, but not inclined to be at the front either.

Harry turned up a flight of stairs, revving the engine for all it was worth as he went up the stair's, letting lose a loud shout of delight as Draco and the others followed suit. Letting go of one of the handlebars, Harry pulled out his wand and shouted in parseltongue, "Fly!"

Five jets of vibrant orange shot from his wand to each of the bikes, causing each one to stutter in it's growling engine before each roared with even more life than it previously had.

They sprang out of the stairwell into the Astronomy Tower. Harry's spell _- whatever it had been_ - and the momentum of the bikes sent them soaring into the air and over the edge of the balcony. The five bikes soared off into the air, not falling in the slightest.

"Wooooowhoooooo!" Blaise shouted, face flushed from the ride, mouth spread in a wild grin.

Draco and Harry had similar looks on their faces. Theo and Neville looked more nervous than excited.

"Harry you bastard!" Theo shouted, "Never do that without warning me!"

Harry laughed, "Where should we go?" He shouted back, "The world is at our fingertips!"

"Egypt!" Blaise laughed,

Draco smirked, "I don't think we have enough fuel for that!"

"Didn't you say you wanted a tattoo?" Neville called back at Blaise.

Blaise nodded, face lit up in excitement as he agreed, "Brilliant Neville! Let's get a tattoo!"

"I want a giant chocolate egg!" Theo declared.

Draco grinned, "I want to go to an amusement park!"

"So do I!" Harry agreed loudly, before pausing and asking, "What's an amazement park?"

The other four boys laughed, "Amusement Harry, amusement!" Theo corrected.

"It's were Muggles go to have fun." Neville told him, pulling his bike up along side Harry's.

Harry's face lit up as it always did whenever he found something new that fascinated him - _well, more than it already was anyway_ - "Let's go there then!"

It didn't take long to find one. The bikes seemed to have a mind of their own, setting the five boys down near a lake fifty minutes into their ride. They jumped off and Harry turned to the bikes and ordered,

"Stay hidden, we'll be back."

"They're bikes blockhead!" Theo sneered, "They can't understand you."

Harry just shrugged, and the five boys made their way out of the trees to find themselves in front of a huge amusement park.

Harry's eyes went as wide as saucer's. Draco wasn't that much better.

"Wow!" Breathed Blaise, "Who knew Muggles were this cool?"

Neville - surprisingly - was the one to take the first step forward, "Come on!" He grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him forward like an excited five-year-old.

The other three raced after them.

They darted from ride to ride, grabbing snakes in between - _mmmm fairy floss_ - and winning the prizes at the little stores - _"I got the doggy, I got the doggy!"_ - much to the dismay of all the vender's.

"This is such a bad idea! This is such a bad idea!" Neville chanted endlessly from the front cart of the biggest roller-coaster at the park where he was clutching the sides of his harness with white knuckles

Beside him, Draco laughed in delight, blonde hair a mess from the wind and all the rides he had already been on. Harry and Theo were right behind them, Blaise behind them with some unknown Muggle girl he was flirting shamelessly with.

"We drove here on Motorbikes," Harry could hear him saying, "Maybe later I could take you for a ride?"

"This is such a bad idea!" That was Neville again.

Harry turned his head to star at Theo, who although not in the same state as Neville, was staring at the crest of the large 'hill' of the roller-coaster they were slowly approaching as if it were his doom.

Draco whooped from the front of the cart.

"Why'd we pick the front?" Theo murmured quietly for a moment, closing his eyes.

Harry laughed as Draco and Neville went over the crest first, Neville's chant rising in volume. "Open your eyes Theo!" Harry shouted at him, "You can see the whole park!"

Theo opened his eyes and gulped. Blaise's cart had followed them over the crest, and the last one was just about to come over the crest and then they'd be off.

"This is such a baaaAHHHHHHHHH!"

_WHOOSH!_

The air flew out of Harry's lungs as the roller coaster plummeted down the steep hill. It was more fun than flying his broom! The turns were sharp, the loops so fast they left your stomach twenty feet below you, only to catch them again as the ride speed back toward the ground pulling sharply one way and then another, going so fast that the wind made Harry's eyes water.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins, shouting into the sky, Harry could hear Draco's breathless voice doing the same, Blaise laughing in the seat behind him. Theo was clutching the harness, eyes wide, while Neville was still yelling at the front of the cart.

And suddenly it stopped.

Even Draco and Harry were shaky as they jumped off the ride, the adrenaline in their blood the only thing managing to keep them standing. Several Muggles dove for the bins that lined the walk out of the ride and although Neville looked a little green, he didn't join them. Theo looked as if he'd just been thrown in a Muggle washing machine on spin dry.

Draco laughed and ruffled Neville's hair, "You did it Longbottom!" He shouted, high-fiving Blaise as they praised the usually nervous Gryffindor for surviving at the front of the cart.

Neville blinked slowly before a slow grin spread across his face. "Let's go again!"

Harry laughed, "I dips front this time!" He said quickly as they made their way around to the end of the line.

"You're not dragging me on that again." Theo said darkly, grabbing Blaise in a vice-like grip, "Your coming on that big drop with me."

The five boys all looked over to the massive tower in the centre of the park. Neville's eyes bugged out.

"You want to go on _that_?"

Harry and Draco both looked giddy in excitement.

"Let's do it!"

Neville, having just discovered a liking for thrill rides, shrugged at Blaise and they jumped out of the ride and made their way over to the tall tower.

Standing at the bottom of it, it looked much more daunting.

"Uh... You sure about this Theo?" Blaise asked nervously.

Neville strode forward, "Come on, we can do _anything_."

Theo nodded at him, respect in his hazel eyes even if he did look a little green.

Draco and Harry each grabbed an arm of Blaise's and dragged him forward. There were just enough seats on each row of the ride for all five of them to sit together. Blaise was in the middle, Harry and Draco on either side of him, and Neville next to Blaise and Theo next to Harry.

"You know, I've never told anyone, but I really don't like heights." Blaise said, eyes wide as he watched the ground disappear beneath them, "That's why I play beater, you don't have to go too high, and this is high, this is really, really high, oh Merlin, I think I'm going to be sick!"

"Don't look at the ground idiot!" Draco snapped, despite the grin pulling at his lips, "And if you throw up on me I'll untie your harness."

Blaise yelped, "You wouldn't!"

Harry laughed and nudged the dark skinned boy, "You went on that roller-coaster didn't you? Look, just look out at the horizon, look, doesn't the moon look amazing from up here?"

The five boys all looked up. Harry was right. From up there, above all the lights and colour, the sky looked amazing. The ride had stopped at the top of the ride, and Blaise had forgotten about the drop awaiting him.

"Hey, yeah it-"

Their stomachs were left up in the air as they found themselves in a sudden free fall, the ride dragging them all down to the ground. They didn't even have time to let out a startled yell.

The ride approached the bottom and was suddenly bouncing back up. On their second approach back down to the ground, Neville and Draco were both laughing hysterically. Harry was wide eyed and grinning widely, his breath coming out in short gasps. The horror stricken look on Blaise's face prompted even more hysterical laughter from Neville and Draco, Theo joining in not long after.

Eventually they were all laughing, their harnesses came off and the next group in line gave the lot of them bemused glances as they stumbled away from the ride.

"Never!" Blaise was muttering, "Never again! I'm never listening to any of you again!"

Theo clapped the boy on the back, clutching his side with his other hand as he laughed.

"Again!" Neville gasped out only taking note of the last word Theo said, "Let's do it again!"

XxX

Harry yelped - wincing as the sound penetrated the sensitive state of his mind - at the sharp coldness of water being thrown into his face.

Beside him several similar sounds were emitted as he heard the splash of water. Harry groaned and opened his eyes, squinting against the sunlight.

"Cruel, whoever you are your cruel and mean." He said as he pushed himself up onto all fours.

He received another bucket of water for his efforts. "Indeed."

Harry blinked blearily and looked up, he knew that voice. "Severus?" He asked, slightly confused, "Did you sleep in Hufflepuff last night?"

Another bucket of water to his face. Harry spluttered as some of the water went up his noise. He sneezed several times moving his weight to his knees as he wiped at his nose.

"Gah! That's gross." He mumbled, a small smile pulling his lips up regardless as he finally managed to open his eyes and look up at the scowling Potions Master. "You don't have a headache potion by any chance do you? My head is killing me."

Severus lifted his wand again threateningly and Harry ducked, laughing softly.

"Ugh, Scar-head, shut up!"

Harry looked over to see Draco pulling himself to his feet, wiping his own face on his shirt to rid it of water. Harry winced in sympathy, the boy had been lying over the arm of a couch. A couch that looked vaguely familiar. Looking around Harry realised they were in Severus's quarters. He raised his eyes at a spluttering Neville, who had obviously fallen asleep just outside the fireplace judging by the now wet ash and soot covering his face. Theo was sprawled across the floor, face screwed up in a valiant attempt to ignore the water that had drenched the upper part of his body and Blaise was currently blinking blearily from under the rug, looking up in ceiling as if to question it for throwing water at him.

Harry returned his gaze to Severus who did not look at all pleased. "Er... Sorry?"

Severus raised his eyebrows at him and asked in a cold, scathing tone that made Harry wince, "Care to tell me how you ended up in this state in my private chambers?"

"Er..." Water in the face again.

Harry coughed slightly and cleared the water away from his eyes - _thank Merlin Blaise had found that spell in the parseltongue book to fix his eyesight_ - ever so slightly amused at the Potions Master's way of punishment. "I um, I think we were drunk."

"Yes Potter, I can gather that for myself." Severus snapped, "What I want to know is why."

"Sirius." Blaise said, speaking up from the floor, "It was Sirius's fault."

Harry rolled his eyes at the typical Slytherin attitude of trying to find a way out of punishment.

Severus closed his eyes and with a wave of his wand another spurt of water shot out, this time hitting Blaise in the face again.

Harry sniggered as the dark skinned boy yelped - ouch, headache - before halting quickly when the wand was turned back on him.

"We were celebrating." Harry said softly, trying to hide his amusement, yet knowing that his eyes - _Neville always says Harry's eyes tell people his every emotion_ - betrayed him.

Severus raised an eyebrow and sneered, "I believe that celebration was cut short by Minerva, was it not?"

Harry nodded dutifully, trying desperately to think what happened after they left the party. "I... We summoned our motorbikes and I... Oh, wow." He exclaimed softly.

"Harry transformed three vases into motorbikes, so we all had one." Theo said softly from the ground, awe entering his voice.

Severus turned back to look at Harry who was still a little surprised at remembering that piece of magic. "How did you manage that when you are already failing Transfiguration?" He asked sceptically.

"I've no idea." Harry admitted, keeping his voice low to avoid hurting his already sharp headache. "I think I did it in parseltongue."

"He made them fly." Theo added. "We flew off the astronomy tower."

Severus looked startled, disbelieving and angry all at the same time. "Are you mad Potter? You could have all been _killed_."

"He is." Theo concluded. "Mad I mean."

Harry snickered, "You were the one who wanted to go on that big drop."

Blaise whimpered.

Severus raised his eyebrows, sighed and lifted his wand again. All four of the other boys received another soaking. Draco leapt to his feet, spluttering indignantly while Theo and Neville followed at a much more sedate pace, careful to not end up swaying on their feet such as Draco now was. Blaise grumbled and crawled slowly out of the rug.

"Big drop?" Severus asked, still angry but more resigned.

"We went to a Muggle amusement park... Say, what happened to the bikes?" Harry wondered, "And how did we get back here?"

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "I imagine you are talking about the five motorbikes that drove themselves into the Great Hall this morning?"

Harry blinked, "Oh, yeah." And then he smiled, "They're ok then?"

Severus rolled his eyes and snapped, "They are, but you will not be. You are lucky Miss Lovegood said we might find you here, Albus was about to send out a search for you, thinking you'd all been abducted. Have you any idea how _dangerous_ and _foolish_ your little _adventure_ was?"

Despite the cold reprimand, Harry smiled softly, "Sounds like Luna." He said softly before adding, "Sorry we worried you, Sir."

Severus blinked, obsidian eyes surprised before glaring at the raven-haired boy. "You can explain where you got those _marks_ when I take you to Minerva." Then he smirked, "In fact, we can go now. _Out_!"

The five boys jumped, each one wincing in pain, yet hurriedly obeyed the furious Potions Master.

"Marks?" Neville mouthed to Harry.

Harry shrugged, unsure of what Severus had meant but feeling an odd feeling of dread, having a distant memory of a conversation about tattoos. Severus marched the five hungover boys up through the dungeons, into the Entrance Hall and through to the Great Hall where - they were mortified to discover - everyone was still having breakfast.

The hall grew quiet as everyone turned to watch Severus storm into the hall with the five boys. Professor Umbridge, the Defence teacher that Harry was not at _all_ fond of and chose to ignore, smirked greedily at them.

Minerva stood, her face holding an expression of tight fury. "Where did you find them?" She asked Snape, her voice low and sharp.

Neville winced, having been on the receiving end of her fury before and knowing that they were in for it. Harry just watched in mild amusement - _this will be the first time Harry'll be punished_ - as Severus raised an eyebrow and answered,

"They _somehow_ made it passed my wards and into my chambers. I have a feeling that Potter is responsible for that."

"Huh?" Harry muttered quietly, trying to remember taking down any wards.

Minerva's lips thinned as she surveyed the five boys. "And _what_ exactly, are those?"

Harry looked up and glanced around at his four friends, wondering what she was referring too. Then he saw them. Blaise had a roaring Lion on his cheek - _it had been facing away from Harry before so he couldn't see it_ - Draco with a matching one on his. Theo was sporting a bright pink Dark Mark with the words 'Voldemort Stinks' on the skull on his left forearm and Neville had an image of the big drop ride they had went on the night before and the words "Thrill Seeker" underneath it.

Harry couldn't help himself, he burst out laughing. Jumping, the other four looked at him.

"Shut up Harry!" Draco hissed through clenched teeth, glancing nervously up at the heads table where Minerva was _not_ looking pleased.

Harry shook his head, conjured a mirror and thrust it at the blonde boy. Draco stared at his face, horrified, before shouting,

"What did you _do _to me?"

Wincing, Blaise too began to snigger. Glaring at him Draco spun the mirror around to show Blaise that he too was now sporting a red and gold Gryffindor lion on his cheek. Neville was inspecting his own tattoo with a sort of morbid curiosity and Theo was staring in bewilderment at his own, muttering, "What the hell...?"

Blaise suddenly caught sight of Harry and burst out laughing, "Harry! Your head!"

Harry conjured another mirror and found a coiling, Slytherin snake underneath his left eye. Harry shook his head, memories of the night before flashing through his mind - _"Sure we're old enough!" "I wanna get a snake!" "Yeah! And I'll get a Lion. Draco, get one with me!" "Harry, look!" "Potter! This is all your fault." "Is that why you got my name tattooed on your back?"_ - Harry blinked, green eyes wide as he remembered the five of them struggling to come of with a name that could represent them all. Inspiration from Harry himself and Neville's first tattoo had provided them with the tattoo that all five of them now had on their collarbones, hidden beneath their shirts, but what made Harry laugh was that Draco had gotten each of their names - _Severus, Sirius and Luna included _- tattooed on his shoulder blade on a flowing banner.

Harry clutched his sides, trying not to fall from laughing. Blaise was biting down on his fist to keep from ending up in the same position. Water poured down on the four of them and Draco groaned,

"I was just starting to dry." He copped an extra spray for that comment.

Harry glanced back at Severus to see the man trying not to look smug.

"What on _earth_ possessed you to get tattoos?" Minerva shouted shrilly, "And Nott, the _Dark Mark_? What were you thinking?"

Theo just stared at the mark on his arm in faint bewilderment, "I don't think I was..."

Minerva clenched her jaw briefly, "I can see that." She snapped. "The five of you will be serving detention for _month_! You will not have any of those _marks_ removed for the same period of time, hopefully that will teach you the consequences of such actions. Longbottom, I'm ashamed of you. Twenty points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, sixty from Slytherin."

When Minerva had finished scolding them, Umbridge putting in her own two bits, the five boys were dismissed. Luna followed them all out and smiling in what Harry thought was a suspiciously indulgent way, she handed each of them a vial each.

"Sobering Potion." She said simply before wondering down the stairs and out onto the grounds.

Harry stared after her with a smile, downing his potion after the others and finding instant relief.

"Thank Merlin," Theo breathed in relief, "I am never, _ever_ drinking again."

The other four boys nodded in agreement.

"I'll say." Blaise shook his head, "Don't think I'll ever trust any of you again either."

Harry chuckled, "Admit it, Blaise, you had fun."

Blaise shook his head, "No way, you dragged me onto that damn drop three times! Three!"

Theo snickered and Neville grinned, "I can't believe I _went_ on that!"

"I can't believe we ended up in Sev's chambers." Draco countered, admiring their own bravery. "How did we even get in there?"

"I think Harry went first." Neville answered, face screwed up in an attempt to remember as they followed Luna down to the lake.

Blaise laughed, "That explains it then."

Harry pouted and crossed his arms. "Why is it always my fault?"

Draco turned around and poked Harry in the chest, his storm grey eyes alight with mirth even though he was scowling, "Because, Scar-head, you are the one exception to every rule."

Harry blinked, eyes wide, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Said a grinning Blaise, "That you never went bad, despite the shit hole we all know you grew up in, you shredded the house rivalries in a matter of days all on your own without even meaning to, you can produce a Lumos that cracks ceilings, you can make people happy just by being around them, you can make motorbikes fly without even trying, and bring down wards as if you were swatting a fly - not that you would. What it means, Potter, is that you can do the impossible."

Harry blinked again, frowning at the other boy, "But-"

"No buts." Theo said sharply. "Blaise is right. Deal with it Potter. We wanted to use you to escape this war, to save ourselves. Now we want to escape this war _with_ you, to watch your back just like you've watched ours. You, with that ridiculous smile of yours, have made a family out of us."

Neville grinned, "Yeah, we're brothers now."

"Just ask Draco." Blaise sniggered.

Draco and Blaise started to bicker, Theo turned away from them with a roll of his eyes and asked Neville about his charms essay. Harry watched them, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Brothers." He whispered softly.

And just like brothers's would, Blaise teased Draco endlessly for having all their names tattooed on his back and the two boys were constantly ending up in brawls over it.

Theo eventually stopped wondering what had possessed him to get something so ludicrous as a bright pink dark mark tattooed on his arm, never mind that most students thought it was brilliant... and quite amusing. Neville learned to stop flushing every time someone brought up his "Thrill Seeker" Tattoo.

Yet one thing the five boys were never embarrassed over was the small lightning bolt they each had tattooed on their collarbones, the word "Seekers" running along the side. Severus had rolled his eyes scornfully when the tattoo became an icon for the five boys and even Luna.

Sirius, after having a nasty talking to by Minerva - _he was bright as a tomato after that!_ - and almost getting into a duel with Severus, got a real kick out of their story - after he stopped feeling so ashamed. In an attempt to try and make it up to the boys, he himself got a tattoo - _not that he doesn't already have them_ - of the same lightning bolt and word on his own collarbone.

When the time came to get rid of the tattoos, each boy silently agreed not to be rid themselves of the lightning bolt tattoo they each had, and Draco opted to keep his flowing banner of names.

If Severus suspected anything about keeping one of the tattoos, he never said a word, although Harry thought he might have seen a similar mark on the Professor's left wrist once, but that may have been his imagination.

* * *

**A/N There you go! I hope the ending wasn't too lame, but I had loads of fun writing this one! Never fear though, there will be at least _one_ more. Maybe two. To make it easier though, I'm gonna dump all of these in a Community to make it easier to keep track of, just in case I end up writing more (Since I'd only planned to have three of these originally anyway.) I hope that will help, since I know a lot of you are feeling a bit exasperated with having to find the next ones. Although I already made a community so I'll just stick them all in that one. Lucky it goes with that community, it's called 'the greatest oneshots' and I feel like a dork sticking my own stories in it (never planned to) but if it will make it easier for you guys I'll do it.**

**I'm afraid I don't know what I'm going to call the next one, so I can't even give you a heads up on that.**

**Anyways, thanks to all who reviewed!**


	9. A Moment of Doubt

**A Moment of Doubt**

**By Whitelonewolf**

**Summery: Sequel to Tattoos and Pub Parlours.**

Harry considered himself a very easy-going, fairy tolerant person, willing to make friends with just about everyone - teacher's and students alike. However, he was fairly certain that he detested Dolores Umbridge with his entire being.

The foul woman who was always clothed in a hideous shade of pink had insisted on Harry's detention's being served with her. He had no qualms about who he served detention with, at first. But the minute he sat down at the desk she had allocated him he knew something was off.

There was a single quill, no ink well - _"You won't need one."_ - and a sheet of paper for him to write lines on. I will obey. Harry was already disliking the woman. Then he wrote the first word.

Green eyes went wide in surprise at the pain that cut into the top of his hand. Looking down at his hand he saw the letter "I" cut into his hand before fading away into his skin. Glancing back down at the paper in shock, he realised the ink was red. Red. Like blood. Looking up at Umbridge - _It can't be lega_l - who smiled at him softly,

"Is there a problem?"

Harry raised his eyebrows, "What is this quill?" He asked, voice tight.

She in turn raised her own eyebrow's, a nasty little smile winding it's way into her features, "You are meant to be writing lines, not asking questions."

Harry deliberately set down the quill, laying his hand flat against the table. "What is the quill?"

"Are you disobeying me? Do you need these detentions to carry on further?" She asked in a sickly sweet voice.

Harry's eyes narrowed at the woman, "I'm almost positive that Hogwarts does not allow corporal punishment."

She stood, her eyes glittering in glee, "I am not _Hogwart's_ Potter, I am the _ministry_."

"So, what, that means you can do whatever you wish?" Harry retorted, his tone disbelieving, not moving an inch.

She rose herself up -_ not that she's all that tall_ - and snapped, "Exactly, Potter, I _can_. I can do _whatever_ I wish, and if you don't write those lines, I'll _make_ you."

For an instant Harry believed her, and then his green eyes darkened and his brow pulled together, "I don't believe you." He said softly.

"Get up!" She snapped out at him, pulling out her wand and gesturing.

Harry stood, willing to 'obey' - _twisted old told, how did she get to be a teacher?_ - so long as she didn't order him to do something like writing in his own blood.

"Out!" She ordered, following him as he made his way to the door, mind on the wand - _Thankful for the wand holster Draco got him_ - pressing lightly against his upper arm.

She overtook him with a brief order - _"Follow."_ - barked out at him as she stormed down the hall. Harry thought she might be taking him to Dumbledore -_ He dreaded the sadness that would accompany that meeting_ - to get a lecture. Ron and Hermione had told him he had experienced lots of those, but aside from Severus - _who he couldn't count_ - and the thrashing from Minerva after the trip to the Muggle amusement park he hadn't had any.

Umbridge lead him down toward the Entrance Hall, surprising Harry by leading him out onto the grounds - _Not to Dumbledore then_ - and toward the tree line.

"Where are we going?" He asked curiously, less worried than he perhaps should have been.

"Do not ask questions." She snapped at him - _She has nothing on Severus_ - turning to give him a scathing glare.

She strode ahead of him, into the forest, and Harry followed more curious than weary -_ The trees are huge! _- having never ventured into the forest yet.

They walked for a long time in silence, Harry looking around curiously, sorely tempted to stop and take a better look around him.

Umbridge whirled about so suddenly that Harry almost ran into her - looking the other way as he was - jerking to a stop and almost falling. Her toad-like eyes were glinting in what Harry considered was a slightly mad way. He found himself wondering once again how she became a teacher.

Her wand jabbed at him and he jerked back, his own wand snapping to his hand to cast a quick - _How did he manage it so quickly?_ - shield.

Umbridge smirked. "You can't escape me here. I can punish you for your insolence in whatever way I see fit. Give me your wand." She snapped.

Harry gripped his wand tighter, his stomach clenching as he felt dread for the first time.

"Give it to me!" She shouted at him, slashing her wand in a downward motion.

Whatever spell she had cast cut through his shield and sliced across his chin. Green eyes were wide, shocked as he stared back at the Defence teacher. Umbridge herself looked a little surprised at her own viciousness, although she quickly rid her face of the expression and held her hand out toward him again,

"Give me the wand."

Harry, eyes still wide, backed away knowing better than to take his eyes off - _she's mental!_ - her, yet knowing he could not back himself further into unknown paths.

She jabbed the wand at him again and Harry jerked back, feet catching on the protruding roots that covered the entire forest floor. Harry couldn't help the yelp that escaped him as he fell, arms flailing backwards, wand hand colliding with a tree and sending it flying.

Umbridge laughed.

"You're insane!" Harry barked at her, "Stay away!"

She laughed again. "No one will help you, no one will miss you. It's all an illusion you idiot boy!"

Harry shook his head, eyes watering from the pain in his wrist - _not otherwise_ - his other hand searching for the wand he had dropped. "What's an illusion, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't!" Umbridge crowed shrilly. "Why would anyone tell _you_ anything. You're just a pawn, a worthless little pawn not worth the time to tell anything! You're a murderer!"

"Murderer?" Harry repeated, bewildered and ever so slightly frightened. "You're crazy, I've never killed anyone!"

A sadistic smirk twisted at her lips. "Why do you think you were obliviated? Why do you think the Hufflepuff's don't talk to you, you killed a boy in their house!"

"No! No that's not true!" Harry shouted, scrambling backwards as Umbridge stalked closer, green eyes now frantically searching for his wand, flickering back to Umbridge every few seconds.

A cruel laugh echoed into the air. "Ah, but how do you know? You don't remember."

"I didn't, I-I... If I had, I'd be in prison!" Harry clung to that thought as soon as it entered his mind.

"The only reason you weren't locked away in Azkaban for the rest of your life is because you 'saved the world' so you were obliviated! Why do you think they all avoid you, why do you think it is only _Slytherin's_ who befriend you!"

"L-Luna and Neville!" Harry said desperately, eyes widening as he finally spotted his wand.

"Fools!" Umbridge dismissed. "I should obliviate you again, reduce you to a quivering- _what are you doing_?"

Harry had sprang forward, hand closing around his wand in a desperateness he was loath to feel, a spell shattered a tree root to his left. Fear gripping his like a coiling snake Harry spun around, shouting "LUMOS!"

Umbridge screamed as the force of the magic and the brightness of the spell hit her, throwing her to the ground several metres away, clawing at her now blinded eyes. The terrible sound echoed in Harry's ears as the woman moaned,

"See! See what you've done!" She wailed, "You're a murderer! Killer! Go on, finish me off!"

Cackling laughter echoed around the forest, chilling Harry to the bone as cold terror settled in. Eyes wide, pupils dilated, Harry glanced about like an animal being hunted. The laughter closed in, and Harry ran. His thoughts were numb, filled with the cold, haunting laughter and the light moans of the woman who had tried to attack him.

_Murderer, murderer, murderer!_ The words echoed inside his head. _Why do you think only Slytherin's befriend you? But they aren't bad, Slytherin's aren't bad!_

Tears spilled down his cheeks, air catching in his throat. He'd never run so fast - _t__hat he could remember_ - and yet he pushed to run faster. A scream pierced the air causing Harry to cry out. The trees grabbed at him, rocks and tree roots seeming to purposefully try to trip him. It did nothing to calm his fear, it did nothing to slow the thunderous beat of his heart.

The trees vanished, the ground smoothing out. The sudden change in terrain startled Harry into a moment of confusion and he slammed into a tall, imposing figure, the scream still echoing in his ears.

"Harry!"

"Dear Merlin! Longbottom, get Madam Pomfrey immediately!"

Harry latched onto the name, "Neville?" He gasped out, hands reaching even as strong arms stopped him from falling,

"It's ok Harry, I'll come back." Neville's soft, worried voice came to him and Harry struggled to clear away the tears, swiping almost furiously at them in order to see clearly.

"No!" He cried, "Don't-" He choked on his own breath.

"Calm down Potter."

He knew that voice! He struggled slowly to stand on his own, pulling back to see that Severus was the one who held him up by his shoulder's, peering down at Harry with an inscrutable expression that Harry had come to recognise as worry.

"I'm not a murderer!" Harry gasped out, the words still ringing in his ears, "Please! Tell me I didn't kill anyone!"

Severus blinked, clearly bewildered, hands tightening around Harry's shoulder's. "Who told you that?" He demanded.

Harry shook his head, "Did I kill a boy? Is that why-" Harry's words were swallowed by a sob, jerking his thin frame, tears flooding his vision again.

"Potter!" Severus's sharp voice demanded, shaking Harry by the shoulder's slightly, "Look at me, Harry!"

Harry's head jerked up at the use of his first name, which the stoic Professor only used at Harry's insistence.

"You have never killed anyone." Severus's obsidian eyes bored into Harry's, telling no lie.

Harry sagged in relief, collapsing against the stony professor in a sobbing mess, clinging to the man like a lifeline. Arms awkwardly surrounded Harry, patting him stiffly on the back. Harry didn't care - _not a killer, not a killer_ - that the Potions Master so obviously didn't know what to do with him.

"Professor we- Harry!"

Another familiar voice as heavy footsteps raced down toward him.

"Salazar's Snake, what happened to him?" Draco's demanding tone sounded right next to Harry almost accusingly.

"We are unsure." That was Minerva - _h__ad she been there all along?_ - sounding disapproving and worried at the same time.

"Draco." Severus's voice was strained - _Was Harry that heavy or is he feeling awkward_ - as he readjusted his grip on Harry, "Take him."

Harry felt himself being transferred, and for a moment he hung onto Severus - Don't leave me! - before Draco's familiar drawl sounded near his ear, "Honestly Scar-head, I leave you alone for one hour and you start blubbering like a Hufflepuff."

Harry latched onto him, still sobbing -_ it's pathetic really_ - like a child. "Dr-Drac-co, I d-didn't wan-want to-"

"Hush Potter." Draco's voice was soft, almost a whisper.

Despite Draco being just as reserved as Severus, he didn't feel awkward as Harry cried into his shirt. A hand ruffled his hair, and Harry sniffed, looking up.

Blaise's gently smiling face came into view, "You might want to be careful Harry, or Draco will have you washing all his clothes for snivelling all over his clothes."

Harry blinked several times, clearing away the tears and a small smile pulling at his lips at the vaguely disgusted look on Draco's face.

"See," Harry turned his head to see Theo smiling at him too - _he looks a little worried_ - from just beside Blaise, "I told you you'd would make him smile, anyone with a face like yours would."

Harry chuckled, releasing Draco with one hand to swipe at the tears that were still sitting just under his eyes. He looked around at the three Slytherin boys, his friends, his brothers, and he suddenly felt safe - _Had he really felt unsafe?_ - again.

"Here," Severus reached forward and grabbed his chin, tilting it up to look at the cut that ran along his jaw. "It's a simple wound, easily healed. Come, let's head up to the castle."

Harry hesitated.

"Potter?" Draco questioned, frowning when Harry's hand still clutching to his right shoulder prevented him from following Severus.

"She's still in there." Harry said green eyes wide as he turned to look back into the forest, "She was screaming." A memory of the sound echoed in Harry's ears causing the boy to flinch.

Draco's hand tightened around his arm.

"Who is still in there?" Severus asked sharply.

Harry looked back, "Dolores Umbridge... And whoever was laughing." He shuddered, eyes flickering back to the forest only to widen in shock, "THEO!"

Harry lunged forward, jerking Draco forward with him for a moment as Draco still had hold of his arm, only to crash into Theo and pull him to the ground. The dark red spell shot through the open space where Theo had been standing.

"Aunt Bell-!" Draco was cut off sharply and Harry twisted around to see the boy spinning into the ground from a spell that sliced into his shoulder.

"Lestrange!" Severus hissed, he and Minerva quickly casting shields to protect themselves and the four students.

"Get Draco!" Theo gasped out to Blaise, who was already ducking down and racing over to the fallen blonde. "Harry, thanks."

Harry nodded, face an expression of shock as he let them both up. Both boys pulled out their wands to help cast shield spells.

"Theo!" Blaise called, "Theo, swap, you're better at healing spells!"

"Right." Theo nodded, tone low and calm despite the panic that was slowly taking hold of his face, "Ready? Now!"

Blaise dove forward, wand out and already shouting "Protego!" as Theo traded places with him and began trying to heal Draco's shoulder.

The woman laughed - _Stop! Make her stop!_ - chilling Harry to the core and filling him with fear once more. "Why don't you come forward and play Potty! Come play with me and save your friends!" Her eyes were just as wide as Harry's, but for a different reason.

Harry had thought Umbridge was mad and yet she didn't even compare to the wild insanity hanging about the woman in front of him. Her very being exuded madness - _She must have been beautiful once_ - her hair was a black mess of knotted curls, her dark eyes glinted with malice and insanity.

"Theodore, get Draco out of here!" Severus snapped back at the gangly brunette, "Then go and alert the headmaster."

"But-"

"Now!" Severus cut him off, eyes locked on the woman.

"Awe, now, now Severus, no letting my delightful nephew get away!" The woman cackled, throwing a spell in Theo and Draco's direction.

It the shielded area that Blaise and Harry were protecting with such force that the two boys stumbled back. The woman laughed.

"Who is she?" Harry gasped out.

"Bellatrix Lestrange. Draco's Aunt and most loyal follower of the Dark Lord." Blaise explained, panting a little as he moved his wand in an intricate manner.

A bright yellow spell burst from his wand, shot through the shield and hit Bellatrix on her right side. She screamed, more in anger than in agony, dark eyes snapping over to glare furiously at Blaise.

"Zabini you little traitor!" She screeched, "You are all traitor's! You will all meet your end!"

Blaise smirked, despite the sweet that clung to his face.

"Blaise!" Severus growled out, "Get Potter out of here and do _not_ do anything so foolish as that again!"

Both boys turned to stare at the scowling Potions Master in bewilderment. Minerva had let down her shielding charm and was concentrating hard on something. Theo and Draco were slowly making their way up toward the castle, Theo glancing around him constantly for safety. Blaise was drained after that hex he put on Bellatrix - _She can't move!_ - and Harry's mind was still a mess of confusion and fear.

Blaise's hex failed and Bellatrix could move again. Expecting the wild Death Eater to attack with magic, both Harry and Blaise were taken by surprise when she lunged at them.

A dagger came out, slicing at Blaise's chest so fast that Harry didn't realise it had happened until the blade was already imbedded in his own side.

"No!"

Fire exploded through his head - _That didn't make sense, he had been stabbed in the side_ - bringing Harry to his knees. The Protego failed - _not that it had helped_ - though Harry couldn't see it, he could feel his magic's hold on the spell snap. Harry cried out, clutching at his head, never mind the blade that was being twisted into his side.

"Now he can reach you!" He heard a shrill triumphant voice shouting above him, "Now he will break you!" And laughter, that never ending laughter, cold and merciless, thrilled in a morbid insanity.

Black. It was all around him. He couldn't see, he couldn't feel and all he could hear was her laughter.

...

A face swam into view. A handsome face, with dark hair like his own, yet calmer not as wild, and soft dark eyes. Tom Riddle - _that was his name?_ - smiled at him.

"Harry." He said simply.

Harry's darting green eyes settled briefly on the man. "Tom." He responded, eyes jerking back to the side - _Make her stop, please make her stop laughing_ - at the sound of Bellatrix's mad laugh.

Tom's smile diminished briefly before returning full force, "Yes, I suppose I would be right now, wouldn't I? You are not afraid of me, are you?" He asked.

Harry's frantic gaze settled briefly on Tom. "No." He shook his head, confused - _Why should he be afraid of Tom, it was Bellatrix who was the threat, Bellatrix who was still laughing_ - as a shudder rippled through his body.

"Interesting. This is good, you need not be afraid of me, Harry. Many people would tell you otherwise-"

"No they haven't." Harry interrupted, anything to distract himself from that never ending laughter.

Tom raised his eyebrow's, "Really?"

Harry nodded, eager to help Tom understand - _He liked helping people_ - and added, "Yes. They told me that I never used to be afraid of anything. That I did lots of brave things."

"Indeed you did."

"But I don't want to be like that anymore." Harry said quickly, in case Tom too, began to treat him with a reverence he felt he didn't deserve. "I want to be Harry, just Harry."

Tom's smile returned, "Of course you do, and you shall, you deserve to have what you wish, Harry. I can help you achieve that."

Harry blinked, green eyes becoming wistful, "Really?"

Tom nodded sagely, "Oh yes, I can give you whatever you want."

An image flashed into Harry's mind, a face, blonde hair, storm grey eyes, _"He tempts you, with promises of anything and everything you could think of. I gave in. I'm not strong like you are. You would never give in to him, because you would never want something you couldn't get yourself."_

Harry frowned, brow's knitting together. "I don't want anything." He said, taking the knowledge from the fuzzy memory.

Tom's eyes narrowed. "You just said, you want only to be yourself."

Harry nodded, "Oh I do, but I can make that happen on my own. Thank you." He added, just for good measure - _one must always be polite_ - in case Tom got offended.

Tom's gaze grew stormy, angry, and Harry worried that he _had_ offended Tom. "Do you not understand Harry? You will never be left in peace if you do not accept my help."

"Sure I will, I have Neville's Greenhouse." Harry answered, startled at his own response - _That's right, the Greenhouse, it's so peaceful there_ - and that he could forget the Greenhouse so easily, it was like being Obliviated all over again.

Slowly, the memories were returning. "And the Potions lab." Harry added with a small smile. "I love the potions lab. Draco and Severus try and pretend to be mean, and Blaise is quite funny, always riling up poor Theo. Neville and Draco have even started to be friends now. We're the Seekers." Harry grinned proudly and showed Tom the tattoo on his collarbone. "See, brothers. Although I think Luna want's to get one too." He added contemplatively at a memory of a young blonde Ravenclaw studying a red-faced Neville's tattoo.

Tom's expression became furious in an instant. "You cannot escape me!" He snarled.

Harry was startled. "Escape you? What do you mean?"

The face changed. The hair fell away, the charming brown eyes glowed red, pupils narrowing to slits, nose almost non-existent, like a snakes. This was not Tom Riddle, this was Lord Voldemort.

"Now are you afraid, boy?" Voldemort hissed at him, his voice more inhuman than it had been moments ago.

Harry frowned at the thought of fear - _laughter, make it go away!_ - and a memory of a woman flashed through his mind. "I have fears, but they do not touch me hear." Harry responded calmly, tiling his head in curiosity, "Should I be afraid?"

A strangled sound escaped the enraged man, "Yes!" And he reached forward as if to grab Harry.

Harry blinked and the man was stopped. Voldemort's red eyes went wide,

"What? No! This is impossible! How can you have stopped me?" He raged, power pouring from his very being, threatening to attack the fragile state Harry's mind was in.

"Stopped you?" Harry asked in confusion, "I haven't stopped you."

Voldemort screamed, "I can kill you! I _will_ kill you!"

Harry's eyes went wide briefly, and then he felt the warmth on his skin, on his collarbone where the lightning bolt tattoo was. "You can't." He said simply. "At least, not here."

Voldemort glared and spat, "Why exactly is_ that_?"

Harry tilted his head again, "I told you, we all got a tattoo. We're brothers. I would imagine that our actions connected us, bonded us in a magic older than we could understand, and since they have all broken any and all bonds connected to you, that protection would extend to protect me."

"Fool!" Voldemort laughed, "You cannot create a bond such as that without blood!"

A slow smile spread across Harry's young face. "There was blood. Just now. _She_ did it, she cut Blaise and then stabbed me. Blood was exchanged. We _are_ brothers. You cannot touch me."

"NO!"

"I have to go now. You should leave." Harry said as he felt a tug around his navel similar to a port-key - _He'd never used a Port-key had he?_ - that told him it was time to leave.

"I will have my revenge! I will not be beaten!" Voldemort stretched to reach him again only to find himself blocked by several people.

Harry smiled brilliantly, "Hey guys."

Neville looked back, his expression somewhat confused. "Hey Harry, how did we get here?"

Blaise chuckled, "Or rather, where is here."

Harry considered this, ignoring Voldemort for the moment. "I don't know actually. I think we might be in my head."

Draco snorted, "Trust you to have a Dark Lord in your head."

Voldemort raged, "How dare you! I will not be treated with such impudence! I will not be ignored! Step aside or you shall _all_ die by my hand."

Harry stepped forward to join the four boys who were now his brothers. "I already told you, you can't. Their bond to me overrides the one I must have to you. Three of them have taken a bond breaking potion, and I activate that now as it flows in their blood, it shall flow in mine."

All five boys began to glow a soft green which stretched out and began to reach toward Voldemort.

"What is this? What are you doing?" For a moment, Voldemort sounded worried, then the green light reached him and a agonised scream filled their ears, throwing them all back and back into the Black.

...

A groan sounded to his right. "I feel like I was just run over by a steam train."

Harry cracked his eyes open, "Blaise?" He asked curiously turning his head to see Blaise sprawled on a white bed beside him.

Blinking, Harry sat up and looked around - _the infirmary_ - and spotted Draco, Theo and Neville in similar beds beside around the room. A slumped figure sat in a chair in between Draco's bed and Harry's own and a smile blossomed on Harry's face when he realised it was Sirius.

"Harry?" Blaise opened one eye to stare blearily at him, "Oh, you're awake too, come here so I can pummel your face in."

Harry blinked, surprised into laughing softly at the murderous look on Blaise's face, ruined by the sleepy state the boy was in. A pillow hit the dark skinned boy in the face.

"Quiet Zabini." Growled Draco's voice from within the folds of his sheets.

Harry laughed again when he saw Theo attempt to pull his own pillow out from his tangled sheets and hold it over his ears.

A groggy Neville lifted his head for a moment, said, "Eh? Oh Harry, good." Before dropping his head back to his pillow and falling asleep again, soft snores emanating from his bed.

Draco groaned, "Longbottom! Quit snoring!"

"Quiet Draco." Blaise mocked, one eye watching from his bed still.

Draco glared, "Don't you ridicule me Zabini!"

"Why don't you go back to being a pampered-"

"SHUT UP!" Theo shouted, sitting up abruptly and jerking both Neville and Sirius from their slumber.

Sirius sprang to his feet, wand out and alert, "What, what is it?"

Neville was wide eyed, part of his blanket hanging from his left shoulder, his brown hair a mess of bed hair.

Harry couldn't help himself, he burst out laughing. Theo crossed his arms and glared around at all of them.

"I see you are all awake."

Harry smiled at the familiar dry tone that came from the door to the Hospital Wing. "Hullo Sir." He said with a smile.

Severus raised an eyebrow as he stalked forward, regarding a sheepish Sirius with dissatisfaction. "Afternoon... Harry."

Harry's smile grew at the second voluntary use of his name from the stoic professor.

"Are you feeling ok?" Sirius asked worriedly.

Severus snorted scornfully, "Oh yes, worry about his health _now_, Black, after you fed them all copious amounts of alcohol and left them to run around on their own."

Sirius scowled, yet also flushed in shame, "Would you stop going on about that? I said I was sorry, I said I would never ever touch a drink of alcohol again, _and_ it was _one bottle_ not 'copious amounts'."

"So you say." Severus sneered and Harry could tell he was goading Sirius.

"Oh for Merlin's sake." Theo snapped, "I can see none of us _patients_ are going to get any sleep _now_." And with that the boy threw aside his sheets - _hadn't they been tangled?_ - hoped out of bed and stormed off toward the infirmary bathroom.

Harry sniggered before posing the question that was at the forefront of his mind. "So, what happened? How did we all get in the infirmary?"

"You fought off those Nargles Harry." Luna responded, drifting in from the doorway.

Sirius raised his eyebrows, Severus looked as if he were resisting the urge to roll his eyes but Harry, he smiled at his Ravenclaw friend.

"You did seem to involve yourself in a altercation." Severus said instead.

Harry blinked, "I did?" He tilted his head, "Why don't I remember?"

Severus raised his eyebrows, "You should. It happened within your own mind."

Harry gaped at him. "In my head?"

"From what we gathered before you all fell asleep." Severus nodded.

Sirius grinned and ruffled Harry's hair, "You did it champ, you beat old Snake-Face."

Harry's eyebrows shot up, "I _did_?"

"Indeed." Severus smirked. "Your 'Seekers' helped apparently."

"Don't you remember Harry?" Neville asked quietly from his bed next to Theo's opposite Harry and Draco.

"You do?" Blaise questioned, tilting his head to the side. "The last thing I remember was thinking that Harry was going to die because I couldn't stop the bleeding."

"You collapsed." Severus said softly and Harry realised with a start that it was painful for Severus to remember - _he must have been so worried_ - from the way his obsidian eyes closed off. "You all did. Theodore and Draco up the hill, Neville with Poppy, and you two. You all just collapsed."

"Sorry we scared you." Draco said in that same soft tone that Harry remember the blonde using on him when he had been crying.

Severus's expression turned sharp, "And who said I was worried?"

Draco smirked and turned to Blaise, "Why don't you remember? I do. Me and Theo were walking up the hill, and then we got swallowed by this blackness and in the next instant we were standing in front of Voldemort with you and Neville, and Scar-head was behind us." Draco raised his eyebrows and turned his gaze on Harry, "What he was doing there I don't know, you never said."

Harry blinked and tried to remember, "We were talking."

"Talking?" Sirius asked sceptically, "You were _talking_ with the Dark Lord?"

Harry nodded, smiling sheepishly, "Well, he was Tom at first, and then he got angry and turned into Voldemort."

Blaise grinned. "There's a difference?"

Draco shook his head, muttering, "Only you would have a pleasant chat with Dark Lord inside your head."

Harry shrugged, "What can I say, I'm easy to get along with."

* * *

**A/N No this is not the end. I still have a few idea's I'm fiddling with, I only wrote this because I figured I needed to address the Voldemort issue. Next chapter will be back to the usual mood of the story. Thanks again to all who reviewed! Means a lot!**


	10. Discussions

**Discussions.**

**Sorry it took a while. Got a bit stuck there. Still not entirely satisfied, but it will do.**

**I am also looking for a Beta, so if anyone is interested, please let me know in a review or a pm.**

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**_DEATH EATERS ATTACK AND COLLAPSE: IS OUR COUNTRY SAFE?_**

**_By Rita Skeeter_**

_Late Wednesday evening the esteemed Dolores Umbrdige, Under Secretary to our Minister Fudge, was brutally attacked during a detention with one of her pupils, the recently obliviated Harry Potter, who had been taken down to the Forbidden Forest for reason's unknown, by the Hogwarts High Inquisitor._

_It is with great regret that the Daily Prophet informs the public of the demise of Dolores Umbridge after this horrific attack. Umbridge was somehow blinded and also exposed to the Cruicatus curse for a prolonged period of time and is now residing in a secure ward in St Mungos Special Treatment, her mind no longer functional. This crime was committed by one of You-Know-Who's most trusted followers, Bellatrix Lestrange. A member of His inner circle in the first war, Lestrange no doubt came to collect on some revenge against a now vulnerable Boy-Who-Lived and Under Secretary Umbridge was in the way. At present it is unknown what Dolores Umbridge was doing in the Forbidden Forest with Harry Potter, or how Mr Potter managed to escape from Lestrange. Luckily however, two Hogwarts Staff, Professor Severus Snape and Professor Minerva McGonagall, arrived on the scene and managed to subdue the dangerous escaped convict before she could inflict too much damage. As it was, the altercation resulted in five students loss of consciousness. Harry Potter, the recently disowned Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini and Neville Longbottom. After an altercation with one of perhaps the most dangerous Death Eater, these five boys are lucky to be alive._

_After speaking with several teachers and students at Hogwarts, it was uncovered that Mr Potter was supposed to be attending detention with Professor Umbridge, writing lines. After speaking with several other students who had experienced detentions with the Ministry Professor to discover if she had ever taken them out to the Forest, it was learned that Professor Umbridge had a very questionable method of detention. Writing lines with Blood Quills. Not only is this a very dangerous thing to practice but also very illegal. Several students have already got scars marring the back of their hands as a result of such detentions. The question now stands, what was Dolores Umbridge doing with the Boy-Who-Lived in the Forbidden Forest? It is believed that she ordered Mr Potter to follow her to the Forbidden Forest where she tried to attack him. Umbrdige was then distracted by the arrival of Lestrange and Potter fled, luckily escaping mostly unscathed. Although the details are not certain, from what has been reported this is likely the way the attack transpired._

_Despite the way in which the incident occurred, it appears as if most - if not all - the students at Hogwarts are relieved that Professor/High Inquisitor/Under Secretary Umbridge has left and feel much safer now that she is locked in a ward in St Mungos, many claiming that she was "Already crazy, at least she won't hurt anyone now."_

_Lestrange is now under watch by several Auror's, however, it seems as though she has fallen in to a coma during the attack at Hogwarts. Incidentally, around the same time, several ministry officials and indeed, several ordinary citizens fell into unexplainable comas as their magic force drained away too rapidly for their bodies to handle. Healers are unable to find the cause, however, it was a shock to learn that most, if not all these people bore the mark of You-Know-Who, the Dark Mark. This only goes to show that You-Know-Who had certainly returned, though what the collapse of more than fifty of his Death Eaters means no one is sure._

_When asked to comment on the matter, Minister Fudge stated that, "I have every faith that no ministry official has been involved in any matter as ludicrous as the one you are suggesting. This is an illness, nothing more. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has not returned."_

_And yet throughout the year there have been more and more attacks on Muggleborn families and ordinary Muggles by Wizards. Incidents of seeing the Dark Mark conjured above ruined homes and fallen Aurors has been raised to an all time high. It is apparent that the Minister is either blinded to these events or refusing to acknowledge what is right in front of him._

_Among many of the unconscious Death Eaters was one Lucius Malfoy, whom is known to have been pardoned by Fudge himself whereas Sirius Black, a man innocent of the crimes put against him spent thirteen years unjustly in prison where he had been thrown without a trial. Again, when the Minister was questioned, he got rather flustered and had only denials and excuses to state. "It was a very regrettable situation in regards to Mr Black, however, unlike Mr Malfoy's case all the evidence was there, pointing to Black."_

_And yet Mr Black was convicted and Mr Malfoy was not. This begs the question as to whether or not our country is in the right hands. How is it that innocent men are sent to prison without a trial and guilty men are escaping free? How can we feel safe when even Hogwarts is being attacked by crazed and ruthless Death Eaters?_

_It is time the public accepted the fact that You-Know-Who has indeed risen. The question that now must be answered - what is he planning? Why did more than fifty of his followers collapse Wednesday Evening? Where is he hiding? And most importantly, what is the Ministry going to do about it?_

The article was printed on the front page of the _The Quibbler_, since Fudge had stopped it's printing in the _Daily Prophet_ and although it wasn't as scathing or ridiculing as Rita usually liked her articles to be, she was happy knowing that it was going to be read by nearly every witch and wizard in Britain. Already sales for the Quibbler were higher than they had ever been, including the sales after she had published her article of the interview with Potter. The people were swallowing the story with relish and people had begun to crowd outside the ministry, demanding answers and action.

Back at Hogwarts, six students sat in the Headmaster's office each one of them having read the article, with three adults in seated in the room with them.

"It is my belief that whatever transpired between you boys and Voldemort caused the collapse of all the Death Eater's." Albus said with his usual wise tone.

Harry snorted and grinned up at the man, leaning forward on his chair as he scooped up another spoonful of ice-cream - _Draco and Theo should lighten up about it, he missed breakfast after all_ - smothered in chocolate topping, pausing with the spoon to say, "Well that much is obvious. Why do you think it happened though?"

Minerva's lips thinned, "Potter, you will refrain from making such rude comments."

Harry shrugged one shoulder and swallowed his ice-cream, "Was just wondering." And he dumped another mouthful of ice-cream in his mouth.

Minerva's nose wrinkled. "Potter, _why_ are you eating ice-cream?"

"He missed breakfast." Neville explained brightly, smiling softly at the disgusted looks on Draco, Theo, Severus and Minerva's faces.

"So you are eating _ice-cream_?" Minerva asked, clearly revolted.

Draco shuddered, "He alway's does. I don't want to know how he even convinced the House Elves to allow him to eat such an unhealthy breakfast."

Harry just grinned again, "You wouldn't say that if you had tried it." Harry tapped the spoon - _clean of course_ - against his chin, "I was even thinking of trying it for dinner. Steak and ice-cream, mmmmm."

"Yuck." Both Draco and Theo muttered.

Blaise chuckled, "I think I'll try some of that too."

Blue eyes glittering in amusement, Albus coughed lightly bringing the attention back to himself. "I'm glad to see you all so cheerful, but I'm afraid we still have some small problems to deal with."

"Such as?" Theo asked sceptically.

"Such as what has happened to the Dark Lord." Severus responded snidely.

Draco frowned, "He's dead, isn't he?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think that? All you did was push him out of Potter's useless head."

"So he's alive?" Neville sounded rather meek, as if all the confidence he had gained the the last few months had just drained out of him.

Albus nodded gravely, linking his fingers together on the desk. "I'm afraid so."

"The Dark Mark has a fail safe in it. If Voldemort were to die, his followers would follow. Currently they are all in a coma, which indicates either that he is close to death, or he is using their magic for himself." Severus explained.

"So either way he's pretty weak right now, right?" Blaise asked curiously, if a little excited, "We could take him now couldn't we?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Not likely, Zabini."

Blaise wouldn't be deterred, "Why not?"

"What about all those people connected to V-V-Voldemort who might die?" Neville asked worriedly.

Theo scowled, "They deserve it for joining up with someone as foul as the Dark Lord."

Albus appraising eyes toward Theo, "Do you really think so? Most of them would not have had much of a choice. You all could very well have ended up serving him, had it not been for Harry."

Theo's scowl deepened, yet he did not dispute this fact.

Harry sat up straight with a small smile. "I know, I'll talk to him."

Everyone looked at him.

"You'll _what_?" Draco asked incredulously, leaning forward in his chair to stare at Harry as the others glanced around with similar expressions.

"One does not simply _talk_ with the Dark Lord, Potter." Severus said dryly.

Harry rolled his eyes, his smile turning into a grin. "You've got to stop calling me that. Besides, I've done it already."

"Are you _mad_?" Draco asked, standing so suddenly he sent his chair clattering back onto the floor as he advanced on Harry, "You could have _died_ last time! You can't do that again! You can't expect us to _let_ you do that again! Merlin, Scarhead, weren't you _afraid_?"

Harry blinked several times - _fear, laughter. Mad, never ending laughter_. - knowing that this was just Draco's worry coming through in anger. He stared up at his friend, his brother, and gave him a reassuring smile.

"I was afraid. But not of him. I know what I fear, and I know I won't have to worry about her ever again. But I can do this."

"You're just going to let him into your head? Well you know what, I won't let you!" Draco had grabbed the front of Harry's robes and pulled him to his feet so that they were almost nose-to-nose.

Harry shook his head, stepping back as Blaise and Neville rose uncertainly, ready to restrain either one of them if it turned into a fist fight. "No. I'm going to go into his head."

Draco's steel blue eyes widened, his mouth opened and closed several times as he tried to find something to say.

"Ok, I'm starting to agree with Draco, you _are _mad." Theo murmured uncertainly.

Harry glanced over at him as Draco's hands loosened their hold on his robes. "I can do this. Trust me."

"This is ridiculous, sit down, all of you." Minerva snapped. "Potter, you are not doing anything of the sort. You said so yourself, you broke the bond you have with him."

Harry laughed and pulled his bag up from the floor and onto his lap. "I've been reading that book, and there are some bits in it that only Parselmouths can read." He pulled the book our and handed it over to the Potions Master. "I could get into Voldemort's head if I wanted to. I am going to. I'll talk to him, and fix this problem."

"You can't honestly think it's as simple as that?" Theo asked sceptically.

Harry shrugged one shoulder. "I do." And with that he took out his wand, tapped his own head and said in parseltongue, "Legilimens."

"No!" Several shouts filled the office as Luna stood from her chair beside Harry to grab him as he tipped backwards.

The small Ravenclaw almost buckled under the sudden weight but Draco darted forward to help her just in time. "I swear, if he's not back in five minutes I'm following him in there." Draco growled as they laid the limp body down.

Luna just smiled up at him and said softly, "The Sungaltops are rather fond of him, I doubt they'd let him come to any harm."

Harry on the other hand was once again experiencing a roller-coaster type ride. He had been sucked inside his own head only to tumble along a tunnel of memories until he came across one with Voldemort in it, which had sucked him along another tunnel. He was twisting and turning and tumbling before suddenly he was spat out in a rather comfy looking room.

Landing in a heap on the floor, Harry coughed a few times, pushing himself to his feet to look around.

"Who are you?" Asked a timid voice.

Harry looked to his left and blinked. There was a young boy sitting on the floor, toys and paper and pencils spread about around him. He was thing and wiry, looking up at Harry through startled if slightly fearful brown eyes.

"Um, I'm Harry. Who are you?" Harry answered, offering up a small smile.

The boy frowned a little. "My name is Tom. How'd you get here?" He demanded.

Harry stood a little straighter. "Tom? As is Tom Riddle? I made it then." He muttered this last bit mostly to himself before answering the boy's question. "I used a spell in parseltongue to enter your mind."

Tom blinked several times, tilting his head in much the same way Harry did when he was curious. "Really? Could you get me out of here then?" His tone had become excited, all traces of trepidation gone.

Harry chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Get you out of here? Are you stuck?"

The boy nodded. "Yes. He locked me in a very long time ago, and I've never been able to get out."

"He?" Harry asked curiously, making his way over to the boy and sitting in front of him, mindful not to disturb any of the toys.

Tom glanced about and then pulled a sheet of paper closer. "Him." He said, placing the picture in front of Harry. "He looks like me, but he's all shadowy and grey."

Harry studied the picture with a curious frown. "This is interesting. He looks exactly like you, but for the colour of his hair and skin and eyes."

Tom nodded. "Yeah. But he's bad. He does lots of bad things. I try to get him to stop, but he never listens to me."

Harry shook his head, "Well, we'll just have to make him, won't we?"

Tom looked up excitedly, "You can make him go away?"

"Maybe," Harry said with a shrug, "But you'd have to help me."

Tom bit his lip. "I dunno. He scares me. Doesn't he scare you?"

Harry shrugged again, a small smile gracing his lips. "No. I don't really know him, so I've nothing to be afraid of him."

"Oh. You're really brave."

Harry laughed, picking up a little car toy and driving it around on the floor. "Not really. I know I am definitely afraid of someone. It's just not him."

"Who are you afraid of?" Tom asked curiously, grabbing another car and driving it around near Harry's.

Harry grinned as they played, trying not to think about the answer as he said it. "A woman named Bellatrix. She has this laugh that really gets to me. Though really, I don't know her any better than I know your other half." Harry paused for a moment before asking, "Don't you get bored in here? It's so small."

Tom shrugged as he looked up sheepishly, "I know. I can make it bigger. But I like the play room. It's comfy, you know? Hey, do you think you could play a game with me?"

Harry laughed, "I think we already are, but sure. What do you want to play?"

Tom placed the car on the floor and got up, "Um... Oh, I know!" The boy jumped up and the room began to change. "Let's play tag. When I was little, the other kids used to always play, and it looked like such fun."

Harry grinned as he looked about the little field they were now standing in. "Alright, but afterwards, let's have a snowball fight."

Tom bounded up excitedly, "Yeah! Let's do that too!" Then he darted forward and hit Harry's arm lightly, "You're it!" He shouted gleefully, racing away from Harry in delight as Harry laughed and gave chase.

They played tag for a few minutes, before Tom grew bored and changed the field to a snow covered area and they had a snowball fight. Then they made snow angels and snowmen.

"This is so fun!" Tom shouted joyfully as they patted down a snowman, "I wish you'd come much sooner Harry."

Harry smiled at the young boy. "So do I. Say, maybe next we-"

He was cut off as a rumble shook the ground. Tom's eyes went wide, terrified.

"He's coming!" He whispered in fear.

Harry frowned, glancing about. "Come on, Tom, let's just keep making our Snowman. Don't let him bully you."

Tom shuddered a moment before gulping and giving a little nod. Harry could see the boy was still very tense as they began sticking on the eyes and mouth of the snowman.

"What are you doing?" An angry, familiar voice snarled.

Harry turned to see the shadowy figure of Tom's alter, Voldemort standing behind them and his green eyes narrowed. "We're having fun."

Tom glanced at Harry worriedly, giving a shaky little nod. "Y-Yeah."

Voldemort's face twisted into an ugly sneer. "Having fun? You, Potter, should not have come here, I will kill you for this!"

The man raised his wand, but Tom cried out, "No! You can't! He's my friend!"

Voldemort glared as Tom raced forward, grabbing at the hand that was rising. "Get off me you little filth."

"This is _your_ body Tom!" Harry shouted stubbornly, "This is your body and he can't rule over you here."

Tom glanced back uncertainly. Harry nodded encouragingly as Voldemort scowled and shook Tom off.

"You can have as much fun as you want, all you have to do is believe in yourself Tom." Harry said softly.

Tom bit his lip, looking up at the looming figure of his alter ego. A frown marred his young face.

"You aren't part of me." He said softly, getting to his feet and standing stubbornly before the evil figure. "You can't be part of me anymore!"

"That's it Tom!" Harry encouraged, "That's-"

Harry jerked forward and cried out when his head connected with something hard. "Ow!" He grumbled.

"Damn Scar-head, must you insist on making things difficult."

Blinking away stars, Harry focused his eyes to see Draco kneeling before him. Startled, Harry looked around. He was back in Albus's office.

He gasped, "No! Tom! I left him!"

Draco frowned, "Wait, what? What do you mean?" His hand fell away from where it had been rubbing his forehead.

"I wouldn't worry."

Harry looked up and saw Luna's face a few inches above his own. That was when he noticed he was half-lying in her lap. He smiled up at her.

"No?"

Luna nodded, a vague little smile pulling at her lips. "No. I believe he will be fine."

"Hold it!" Draco shouted, standing up and crossing his arms. "What happened, what is going on, and _what are you talking about_!"

Harry laughed and turned to look at the room at large. "I think I solved the problem. Voldemort won't bother anyone anymore."

Albus raised his eyebrows, but when Harry did not elaborate, he smiled. "Very well then. I guess the next thing to discuss would be where Harry is going to stay for the summer."

"Well he's going to stay with us, of course." Blaise said with a grin and a wink at Harry.

Severus frowned however Albus said,

"Actually, I believe Sirius is under the impression that Harry will be staying with him at his house."

Severus snorted, "In that hell-hole? There is no way Potter will stay there."

"He could stay with me?" Neville suggested mildly, "I'm sure Gran wouldn't mind."

Blaise frowned, looking as though he wanted nothing more than to stomp his foot. "He's staying with us."

"Perhaps you should call Sirius, Albus, let him know what you are discussing." Minerva suggested with a small smile.

Harry frowned a little, wondering what she was up to. Severus groaned.

"Excellent idea, I'll get him now."

When Sirius finally arrived, the _discussion_ turned into a shouting match.

"He's staying with me! I'm his godfather!"

"He's staying with us we're his brothers!"

"You're not his brothers! You're not even related!"

"We shared blood!"

"Only one of you!"

"Potter will not stay in that filthy house!"

"Oh and I suppose you want him to stay in your greasy hole?"

"Don't mock me Black!"

"Don't mock me Snape!"

"HEY!" Draco shouted loudly, slamming a hand down sharply on Albus's desk.

Minerva had escaped with a small smirk of what Harry suspected was victory, and Albus was watching the whole scene with amusement. Harry and Luna had stayed mostly quiet as everyone else shouted about where he was going to stay.

"I believe I now own the most adequate living space of all of us, and there is plenty of room there for everyone to stay." Draco snapped haughtily. "So Scar-head will be staying with me." Draco's tone challenged them all to object.

Blaise blinked and then smirked, "Actually, that's not a bad idea. But if we're staying at your place, I call dibs on that blue room."

"I get the maroon one opposite Blaise's." Theo piped up quickly.

Sirius grinned, "Hey, nice idea, I bet Malfoy manor is much nicer than my mother's house."

Draco nodded with a smirk. "Of course. You can have one of the master bedrooms if you'd like?"

Sirius nodded, quite pleased with the turn of events.

"Wait a moment-"

"You can have your usual room Sev, don't worry. I'm sure we can clear away all my parents rubbish quick enough." Draco cut off Severus, turning to Neville. "You'll be staying too, right? We'll be room-mates."

Neville blinked several times, "Oh, uh, sure." He grinned, "I'll have to clear it with Gran, but I don't think she'll mind."

Draco grinned back, "Great, Luna, you are welcome to stay as well."

Luna nodded distractedly. "I'm sure Daddy will be happy to let me stay so long as we still go looking for the Crumple Horned Snorkack every once in a while."

"Can I help?" Harry asked, inadvertently cutting off another would-be objection from Severus.

"Of course, Daddy would be delighted." Luna smiled at him.

Neville blushed, "I think I'd like to go too, Luna."

Severus tried again to object, just as Draco said, "Ok, so we'll organise an outing to catch Luna's dragon. And Harry, we need to have a chat with the Weasley twins. Aren't you going into business with them?"

"Oh, ok." Harry grinned.

Albus smiled, "Excellent, so it's all settled then? You'll all be staying at Malfoy Manor then?"

Draco nodded and Severus slumped in his chair. "Excellent." He grumbled, although no one heard him.

"Sirius, here's a portkey there, could start getting things ready?" Draco asked, handing over a little silver key.

Sirius grinned wickedly, "Sure thing, boss."

Severus groaned, "Brilliant. The place will be a mess before we even get there."

Harry snickered. "Cheer up, Sir. Just think, when the summer ends you'll have thought up plenty of ways to torture the new first years next year."

Severus rolled his eyes as every laughed at his expense.

* * *

**So here it is. I was contemplating leaving it at this, but I've decided to write one last chapter, there are a few ideas I still want to fiddle with before ending it. The last chapter may take a while to get up, I'm still a little lost on how to get it out right, plus I have exams that I should really study for.**

**Thanks again for all the reviews and the favs and the alerts! It keeps me going!**


	11. Home

**A/N - Took a little longer than usual to write, but here it is!**

**Home**

"I think I have a cold." Blaise mumbled thickly, brushing a sleeved hand under his nose. "My nose hasn't stopped running for ten minutes."

Theo turned to glare at him, "Shh!" And promptly ran into Draco, who had stopped to see what Neville was looking at. "Ouch!"

"Watch it Theo!" Draco snarled, pulling burs from his clothes.

Theo rolled his eyes with an impatient sigh, crossing his arms to glare at the blonde boy.

Neville glanced at the three Slytherins with a bemused look, warm brown eyes darting over to Harry to share a little grin with the raven-haired boy. Neville returned to his inspection of the rare plant that had caught his attention and Harry turned his head to consult Luna.

"How are the others doing?" He asked conspiratorially.

Luna's lips turned up in a small smile, blue eyes -_ Who would imagine such intelligence behind such a vacant gaze_ - sparkling in amusement. "Oh much better now that they've gotten to know each other."

Darting a glance behind them, Harry covered a snicker with a cough, earning himself a rather nasty glare from his Potions Professor. A Potions Professor who was currently tied by the wrist to Harry's Godfather. Luna's father walked along beside them with an almost smile as he detailed the type of creature they were looking for.

Sirius, to his credit, was actually listening, and would have looked intrigued had it not been for the irritated looks he kept sending Severus. Severus himself was glaring at anything and everything that crossed his path.

Harry turned away from the three adults, sniggering as he continued to look around the country-side they were currently making their way across.

Luna had gone home to her father during the Summer, while the boys and Severus joined Sirius at Malfoy Manor - _The paperwork to rename the place Lightning Zone had been sent into the Ministry to be approved_ - for two weeks before Luna had sent them mail requesting their attendance during her hunt for the Crumple Horned Snorkack. Harry had been immediately excited, eager for some adventure.

Blaise, too, had been willing, glad for a chance to get away from his summer homework and research. He had taken over a corner of the Greenhouse at the manor where he and Theo conducted the rest of their research on Parselmagic, occasionally demanding Harry's presence.

Neville had been a bit reluctant to leave his newly flourishing Greenhouse, but he too had been intrigued and excited by the chance to get away and explore.

Draco, Theo and Severus had been openly sceptical - the latter two more so than Draco, both rather reluctant to go chasing after non-existent creatures. However Draco and Theo were taken care of by Harry whilst Severus had been endlessly teased and harassed by Sirius to be a cowered to the point that Severus had been the one to firmly declare they were _all_ leaving the next morning.

The Potions Master was thoroughly regretting that decision now that he and Sirius had been tied together in order to make them cooperate and work together. It wasn't working very well.

"How about we set up camp here then?" Xenophilius suggested in a similar sort of tone that Luna often used.

The clearing wasn't all that remarkable, angling slightly downwards in a way that would only just be uncomfortable. It had little ferns and tiny flowers growing from tree roots that rose up above the ground briefly before disappearing underneath it again. Harry smiled.

"Sounds good to me." And he dropped his bag on the ground.

Blaise sat with a relieved sigh. "Thank Merlin." He muttered, voice thick due to his clogged nose.

The boy dug out his sleeping bag, dove into the covers and closed his eyes.

"You can't honestly be sleeping?" Draco asked sceptically, "It's still day light, and we haven't eaten."

Blaise sighed and without opening his eyes and muttered, "I'm cold, I'm tired, I feel utterly terrible and if you so much as mention food again I'll throw up on you."

Draco blanched and edged away.

"You really do feel bad, don't you?" Harry said in surprise, abandoning his bag to see to his friend.

Blaise shrugged from under his sleeping bag. "Luna's having fun, and we only have two more days before we head back."

"Maybe you're allergic to something." Neville suggested in concern.

Severus's attention - _his hearing was amazing_ - snapped to them in an instant. "Whose allergic to what?"

Blaise sighed. "I'm not allergic, I've just got a cold. I don't really feel sick."

"Are you sure?" Severus bit out sharply, trying to pull Sirius in Blaise's direction.

Blaise gave out a little huff. "Yes."

Neville shook his head and began to unpack his own bag next to Blaise. "I've been collecting some herbs that I've seen. If I have the right ones, I can fix you up some tea with healing properties."

Blaise perked up at this, watching as Neville began to pull out his things.

Harry chuckled and left them to it, going back to his own bag. He paused when he found his things strewn about - _He was sure he hadn't gotten anything out yet_ - messily.

"Did someone tip my bag out?" He asked curiously, glancing back at everyone to find that they were all involved in a conversation - _argument_ - of some sort.

He hadn't seen anyone near his bag though, so Harry shrugged and began to gather things up and place them back in their right place. He was almost done when he noticed a shoe missing. With a frown he stood up and looked about the spot he had chosen again. A rustling from the trees caught his attention. Glancing back again to see everyone still occupied, Harry approached the bushes, crouching down slightly in order not to scare whatever it was away.

He reached out with a hand and gently parted the branches, catching a few on his sleeves. Then he blinked - _What...?_ - twice in bemusement.

"Uh... That's my shoe." He said to the little creature, unsure of what else to do.

The animal paused, looked up at him and emitted a small growling type noise, smoke coming puffing out of its nose. Harry let out a little laugh_ - not at all embarrassed that it sounded like a giggle_ - at the little creature's attempt at intimidation.

It looked like a little Dragon, except with a thin coat of green fur. Atop it's head were three horns, running from the snout up to the top, all three of which looked as though they would crumble at any moment.

Suddenly, Harry knew what the creature was. "Hey, we've been... Wow, you have really cool eyes!" Distracted by the electric blue eyes that stood out from the green fur, Harry momentarily forgot his little discovery.

Until the little creature decided to take another bite out of his shoe. "Hey! Stop chewing my shoe!" He exclaimed indignantly, grabbing at his shoe to stop the little dragon from chewing.

It let out another small growl and lunged at him.

"Hey!" Harry tumbled backwards with the little dragon crouched on his chest. "Oof!"

"Harry!" Several shouts erupted behind him and Harry tilted his head backwards to look at all his friends upside down, he located an inverted Luna and said with a small smile, "I found your Crumple-Horned Snorkack." He said with a lopsided grin, holding the little growling creature up for them to see, "It seems to like my shoe." He looked back at the Snorkack, who had his shoe dangling from it's mouth.

Luna let out a delighted little laugh, and darted forward, "He looks marvellous, doesn't he Daddy?"

"Luna, I will never doubt you again." Harry heard Theo mutter as he began to wrestle back his shoe.

"I think I'm going to call you Chomper." He grumbled - _not at all really bothered_ - sitting up to gain the advantage over the Dragon, which was only the size of a cat.

"Why are you naming it?" Severus asked suddenly in a rather snappish tone, "Don't tell me you intend to _keep_ it?"

Luna gave him a considering look, "Well, it doesn't look like Chomper wants to give up Harry's shoe. If that is the case, we will have to take him with us."

Severus looked as though he rather like to bash his head against a wall. "I'm sure it will manage without Potter's-"

"Harry." Harry interjected with a grin.

"Shoe." Severus finished, throwing a half-hearted glare Harry's way.

Harry laughed, giving up on struggling back his shoe to say, "You know, I think the more we wear the Slytherins down, the less intimidating they appear."

Neville's brows pulled together in confusion, "I didn't think you were ever intimidated by the Slytherins."

"This is great and all, but can we go home now?" Blaise complained, sniffling heavily as he held a cup of tea in his hands, his sleeping bag still wrapped around him.

Neville grinned at the boy, "You drink that while we pack up, then I'm sure we can go home."

"Do have the portkey Sev?" Draco asked Severus as he turned to retrieve his things.

"Of course I do." Severus snapped, tugging on his bound wrist and causing Sirius to trip.

Sirius huffed indignantly, "You could at least be civil and _ask_ me to move." He grumbled.

"I thought you just worked off commands." Severus retorted grumpily.

They descended into endless bickering to the amusement of all their charges.

Luna helped Harry retrieve his shoe back from Chomper when they were all ready to go, Severus produced the portkey that would take them back to Malfoy Manor.

They landed in a heap in the reception room of the large house. Harry grinned and stood, stretching out in delight.

"Feels good to be home." He said with a smile as the others all got to their feet.

Home. At Hogwarts Harry had felt peaceful, leisurely enjoying life as he pleased, however he hadn't realised that something was missing until he came to Malfoy Manor. He hadn't actually realised the full meaning - _comfort, safety, laughter happiness_ - behind the world 'home' until he had one.

"How come Scarhead is the only who ever gets mail." Draco grumbled, going through the envelopes that had been left on a little table against the left wall.

"I have mail?" Harry asked, intrigued.

Draco nodded, sorting through the letters. "Actually, we all do. Our Hogwarts letters are here. Oh, Severus, I think this is yours, something to do with Potions?" Severus snatched up the letter and quickly became engrossed in the contents to the amusement of Theo and Blaise. "But you have three... Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes?"

"Oh! The Weasley twins!" Harry exclaimed, grabbing at the letter and reading through it quickly. "Oh, they've got the paperwork for me to become their partner. And they want Sirius to work with them."

"I accept!" Sirius practically yelped.

Severus seemed to have been listening as he shuddered and muttered, "Merlin help us." Under his breath.

Harry laughed. "I think its a great idea."

"Don't think that means you're leaving school, Pot-"

"_Harry_." Harry rolled his eyes with a small smile, nodding at the Potions Master who scowled at him for cutting him off. "And I won't."

Severus snorted softly, before gesturing to the letter. "I have a potions convention to attend in a few days." He said, and then turned - _no doubt hiding his excitement_ - and left the room abruptly.

"Can I come!" Blaise called after him.

"No."

Blaise sighed. "Oh well. On with my Parselmagic research then."

Draco smirked. "Yes, and imagine the money you will make with it?"

Theo rolled his eyes. "Is that all you ever think about?"

"Of course... Well, that and embarrassing Potter."

Blaise laughed. "Impossible. Harry doesn't know how to be embarrassed."

Harry crossed his arms indignantly as Sirius offered Luna's father a cup of tea and the two remaining adults retreated into the kitchen. "Well why should I be- Hey! Chomper, thats- Oh not again!"

"Potter?" Draco called, frowning at a letter in his hand, "You've got a letter from- from Tom Riddle."

The boys went silent faces paling at the implication, except Harry whose face lit up in delight. "Tom?" He dropped the shoe he was trying to retrieve - _again_ - from Chomper and bounded over to read the letter.

"What's going on?" Theo demanded, worried about the fact that Harry was happy receiving a letter from Tom Riddle.

Luna smiled and laid a comforting hand on Theo's shoulder, who blushed at the contact. "It is ok. Tom is as much a victim as we were."

"He's ok!" Harry exclaimed, eyes rapidly scanning the letter, "He wants to meet us in Hogsmeade when the school term starts, he's thinking of going to Hogwarts properly when he turns eleven again."

"Wait, what?" Draco demanded, completely confused, "How can he turn eleven again?"

Luna's laugh echoed in the large room. "Magic."

**A/N- I am now officially free from school! YAY! Exams were part of the reason this took so long, the other part is that I momentarily lost all oompf for this story... Personally I think it shows, I'm much more happy with the next chapter. I know I said Tom would be in this one, but it didn't pan out that way, however, he is definitely in the next!**

**Hope you enjoy! Once again special thanks to all my readers, extra special thanks to all my reviewers! I'm looking forward to reading them!**


	12. Perfect

**Perfect**

Hermione Granger walked out of the Ministry building, tucking her Unspeakable robes back into her handbag. She was the youngest Unspeakable to be accepted in over a century. Abruptly a memory accosted - _"You're the youngest seeker in a century!"_ - her, causing her heart to pound sharply in her chest. The twenty-year-old shook her head as if to clear away her thoughts and continued on her way.

She had to return home and get ready for her dinner with Ron, who she was sure was going to propose to her. Adrenaline rushed through her when she thought about finally marrying Ron Weasley.

But first she needed to do some shopping. Glancing around to make sure there were no Muggles about, she spun on the spot and apparated to Diagon Alley. With a fond smile she wondered down the lane, trying to decide where she was going to buy the dress robes she wanted for that night. She paused, spotting Sirius Black arguing with Fred Weasley outside Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.

She hadn't seen Sirius since her graduation three years prior, and decided to wonder over and see what the two were up to.

"Hermione!" Fred exclaimed with a smile. "How are you?"

Hermione returned the smile, "Well, I'm just out to buy some things, I've got dinner with Ron tonight."

Fred grinned and exchanged a knowing glance with Sirius. "Ah, yes, big night then?"

If ever she doubted her suspicions, they had just now been confirmed. Ron was definitely proposing.

"I guess." She allowed, a small smile pulling at her lips. "And how are you both?"

Sirius laughed. "Well as can be. We were just wondering over the window display."

Hermione peered around the two men and raised her eyebrows. "It looks great!" She exclaimed, having not been to the shop in many months.

Fred rolled his eyes as Sirius grinned in triumph. "Fine, fine, you and George win then."

Sirius laughed. "Don't be sour, or Harry'll drag you over to dinner again and you'll start arguing with Severus about your newest potions, and no one will be able to get a word in edgewise."

Fred blushed and grinned. "Yes, well."

"How is Harry?" Hermione asked a little nervously.

Sirius smiled in understanding. Although Harry had gradually become friends with Hermione and Ron again after the loss of his memories, they had never returned to the close knit friendship they once had.

"Couldn't be better." Fred laughed, "He comes 'round about once a week to help out at the store, but mostly he's next door with Draco and Blaise."

Hermione blinked, her gaze flickering over to the shop - _not as bright as Fred and Georges, but not dark either_ - to see Blaise Zabini's own shop. She had passed many times, but had never had the time to go in, yet she had heard enough to know that it fronted as a shop and conducted research in the back. Theo Nott, a colleague of hers in the Unspeakable department, had helped Blaise with the initial research and now connected Blaise's little shop with the Unspeakable department, relating anything significant that they found.

Mostly they sold strong enchantments done in Parselmagic, and as the only shop in the country who had a parselmouth on demand, they had become quite popular. After people had gotten over their initial repulsion to Parselmagic, helped along by Blaise's book - also sold in the store.

"Actually, I believe they're currently doing research on Magical snake breeding." Sirius was saying, breaking Hermione out of her thoughts.

"Oh?" She asked, intrigued. "I hadn't heard, then again, I don't often see Theodore in the department."

Fred was nodded. "Yeah, actually I think it was Luna's idea."

"Luna?" Hermione asked with a little frown. "Luna Lovegood?"

She had known Luna became very close to Harry and the Slytherin boys, but she wasn't aware she was still in contact with them. After Luna's discovery of the Crumple Horned Snorkack, the girl had become a Magical Creature expert, and travelled quite a lot in search of rare or mythical creatures.

Sirius sniggered. "Yes. Shortly after she came back last. It was actually quite amusing."

Fred was laughing. "Poor Theo."

"What happened?" Hermione asked with a smile.

Sirius sniggered again. "Poor, poor Theo, there he was, valiantly trying to keep his cool as he proposed, and Luna says yes immediately and starts on about this Magical snake she found in Australia and the possibility of mix-breeding magical snakes."

Hermione gaped. "Luna's _engaged_, to _Theodore_?"

Fred and Sirius both nodded.

"Yes, about five weeks ago." Fred answered.

"Goodness. What else have I missed?" She wondered aloud.

Fred's grin widened and he exchanged another look with Sirius. "Neville's got a position at Hogwarts." Fred broke off, chuckling, and then added. "Poor Severus. Neville's completely ruined his reputation from what we've heard."

Sirius began laughing again. "Severus can't believe it! He keeps complaining about how it's all Harry's fault. How he was Severus's downfall after all."

Fred and Sirius burst out laughing and Hermione hid a smile behind her hand.

A rather loud explosion sounded, causing all four of them to jump. Smoke billowed out of the shop next door - _Blaise's store!_ - as the door was hurriedly pushed open and three coughing figures burst from the shop.

"Idiot!" One of them gasped. "I told you to be careful!"

A flurry of hisses permeated the air.

"English Harry!" Another laughed, coughs breaking in between.

Clearing away the smoke, Hermione saw Blaise, Draco and Harry covered in smoke and ash. Suddenly finding themselves in clear air, the three looked around and spotted Hermione, Sirius, and Fred.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed joyously, "Was that you? Thanks!" He bounded over to them, a huge smile on his soot smeared face.

Hermione couldn't hold back a delighted smile. "You're welcome. What was all that about?"

Blaise and Draco joined them, Draco casting half-hearted glares at Harry.

"Scar-head was being an idiot." Draco muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Blaise chuckled. "He didn't mean it, he's never been that great at potions."

Harry just grinned at Hermione, "So how are you? I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I'm well, and you?"

"Good, good." Harry bobbed his head and ducked the hand that came to cuff him without even looking.

Draco didn't look at all surprised that he missed, and instead just shook his head and gave Hermione a polite nod. "I hear you have a big night ahead of you."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Oh, yes." She blushed. "Everyone seems to know, don't they?"

Draco smirked, "Well, Weasley never was one for subtlety."

Blaise chuckled. "He was in the shop a few days ago, wasn't he?"

Draco nodded. "Red as a tomato too, but acting like the luckiest person alive."

"He is." Harry interjected. "Hermione's great. Anyone'd be lucky to have her." He threw a roguish grin Hermione's way and she felt her heart jump.

"Well-" She started but was cut off by the arrival of two more people, exiting out of Fred and George's shop.

"What was that?" A young voice exclaimed.

Hermione blinked at the young boy, realising with a start that she was looking at Tom Riddle. The young brunette was standing with his arms crossed in front of George Weasley and looking at the three soot covered boys in a mixture of amusement and disapproval.

"Did you let Harry near your potions again?" The young boy asked in a surprisingly exasperated voice.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Who else would have done it?"

"Well it could have been Fred and George." Blaise pointed out, much to the indignation of the Weasley twins.

"Oi!" George huffed, "I'll have you know that we haven't blown anything up in _ages_. Unlike _you_."

"Not my fault." Draco grumbled, throwing a glare Harry's way.

"You shouldn't be letting Harry near the cauldrons. Uncle Sev always says that disasters follow Harry 'round everywhere and we shouldn't encourage them." Tom quipped.

Everyone sniggered as Draco once again rolled his eyes. "Yes Mum."

Hermione smiled and felt wholly happy for the first time in years. For the longest time, she had felt as if there was a small part of her heart that would never heal after Harry split away from her and Ron. Yet, standing among the family he had made for himself, seeing the success and happiness of the people who would otherwise have lived a life of darkness, she realised that Harry's loss of memories was really a miracle.

Harry had been given a chance to live she realised. Before the loss of his memories, he was chained to a fate that could have killed him and when that world was shattered, he was set free. He had freed himself, he had freed the Slytherins of prejudice against them, he had Sirius and he had made a life for them all.

Suddenly, Hermione found she could no longer be unhappy for losing her best friend. Not when he had created so much happiness just by being himself.

A buzzer sounded, jerking Hermione from her thoughts, "Oh. I'm sorry, but I really have to go or I'll be late." She said apologetically to the group as a whole.

Harry grinned at her. "No problem, just make sure we get an invite to the wedding."

Delighted, Hermione beamed. "Of course." She nodded and waved to the others and turned to hurry down the Alley.

"Give Ron my best!" Harry shouted out after her, echoed by the voices of his friends and family.

_Yes_, she thought, I might have lost my best friend, _but everything worked out just perfect._

**A/N - And there it is. This is the last chapter. I hope it satisfies. I'm happy, and yet a little sad that it's done. Personally I think the first few chapters were the best, but I'm still quite pleased with the way it ended. I once again thank everyone who read this, and especially to those who reviewed (some of which nearly made me cry I loved them so much!).**

**I've also got some Side-fics planned, so keep an eye out for them.**

**CJxo**


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